Irken Rainfall
by LIMBO Dib
Summary: A new student arrives at Skool and captures the attention of both Zim and Dib.  But what if Ray isn't as normal as she seems?  Major OC-age.  No lemons.  Will probably never be updated again, and possibly deleted.
1. Prologue: The Escape

She looked around, trying to mask the shock that came over her face. Just an hour ago, her plan had been alive and well in her head, and she had been entirely ready to put it into action. Now, she was glancing around the area in fear, too scared to utter a single word.

Behind her, every single member of the largest army she had ever seen was waiting for their turn to be...assigned. She was keeping them waiting. She knew it was all for her plan to work, but she felt guilty. There were hundreds of them, and she barely knew any of them.

In front of her were her leaders, standing there and casting their long shadows down upon her. She had the feeling that, due to their current location, casting shadows in that direction was impossible, but she didn't pay any attention to that, because it didn't really matter.

They were ready to assign her - to give her a mission that, depending on just how skilled she truly was, would last her the rest of her life. Their expressions were bored ones, which made the whole thing seem like a cruel joke to the army standing below.

And yet...next to her stood her partner. They had only met an hour ago, but her partner was already determined to serve her. Her partner wasn't scared, afraid, or even fearful...she was emotionless. Her bright eyes surveyed the room with a look of emptiness.

"Well?" one of her leaders asked her, "We're waiting. Do you accept your mission?" Her fists clenched, and terror surged through her veins. _I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not ready...oh, who am I kidding? I was never ready. _She almost felt tears come to her eyes.

_I heard about him a few weeks ago. I heard he had been trapped. Stuck. Imprisoned. And I felt sorry for him. How am I supposed to know if he even exists? The only thing to do is try. Even if I die, I can die knowing that I tried to help._

A feeling of bravery suddenly filled her. "No," she muttered, "And I never will be." In that instant, she sprang off of the platform and darted away in an entirely different direction. Her partner followed her, sprinting at an unbelievably fast pace.

A few of the members of the army noticed, but didn't try to chase her - they were too wrapped up in their own affairs, as well as being lost within a huge crowd of those who looked almost exactly alike. Her leaders, however, followed her down the hall.

She knew then that the whole thing was a dumb idea. _I'm going to get myself killed...all because I was concerned about the life of someone I've never met. How stupid. How...childish. What was I thinking? _She kept dashing down the hall, never looking back.

Her partner was suddenly right next to her, bright eyes pulsing with energy. She was also being chased - her master's leaders were right on her tail. She didn't want her partner to be chased like this - not ever, not now. Her partner's eyes actually looked worried.

The two of them finally reached the docking station in record time. Many ships were just waiting to be driven away to somewhere ever so far away, but she was looking for one in particular. She was looking for the one that practically had her name written on it.

She jumped straight into the ship and right into the front seat. Her partner leaped in after her, landing on the floor next to her. Her leaders were still chasing her, about to steal the ship's controls and most likely end her life. She still heard their screams as she flew away.

She had been piloting ships like this for years on end. As she steered throughout the star-splattered area around her, her partner dashed around and checked the controls to make sure everything was coming along nicely and nothing was wrong.

They soared around for quite a while, her hands pale on the controls. Her partner didn't look worried, but she probably was - the way she was rapidly speeding around gave it away. The two of them were completely silent, too focused to say anything.

She ducked into her target galaxy, narrowly avoiding a passing meteor. Suddenly, the ship's main screen began to glow in a red color. Someone was trying to infiltrate her ship. "Find the infiltrators!" she shouted, feeling more serious than she had ever been.

However, her partner did not obey. She was standing stock-still, occasionally letting off a few sparks. "What's wrong?" she asked nervously, unable to help due to devoting her complete attention to the endless expanse in front of her and her ship.

Her partner clutched her head in pain. Something was inside her head and wouldn't leave. It was...commanding her. Telling her to destroy her own master. She whimpered softly, trying to get the commanding force outside of her head, but it wouldn't go away.

The force commanded her trembling hands to shut off the engine. She began to reach for it, but felt an arm blocking her. It was her master, who had looked away from the galaxy she was now in to help her partner. "Are you okay?" she asked, sounding slightly calmer.

Her partner tried to shake her head, but ended up kicking the control panel and causing parts of it to short out. Her eyes flashed in a terrifying shade of yellow, and in an instant, her master knew what was going on inside her partner's head.

_It's them. My leaders. They're looking inside her head and commanding her to destroy our hopes of this plan succeeding. _While attempting to man the other controls with her leg, she steered the ship toward her destination, which wasn't very far away.

A debate had been going on inside her partner's head. She was fighting the voice, but it was winning. And yet, at the same time, she was devising a plan to save both herself and her master from dying due to the voice in her head causing her to crash the ship.

She closed her eyes and found herself inside her own head. She saw her master's leaders, messing with things. They were _manipulating her circuits and causing her to act strangely. _She rushed up to them and pushed them both over, causing them to hit the ground.

She knew they would get up soon, so she hurriedly pushed her way through her own mind, which was filled with memory cards, wires, and all sorts of other things. Finally, she reached a silver object in the center of her head, shaped like a semicircle.

Using her somewhat-sharp hands, she sliced every wire that led to this strange object apart. She felt a large part of her head shutting down as things escaped her field of knowledge. She held her head in pain again, but her master's leaders were then forced out.

The parts of the control panel that had shorted out weren't even responding any more. They were getting closer to their destination, but before she could stop herself, she continuously hit the engine with all sorts of deadly weapons. In response, the engine gave in and exploded.

She screamed, trying desperately to land the ship safely, but failing. Her partner collapsed, eyes rather suddenly turning black. Noticing this, she screamed and watched, helplessly, as her ship headed straight for her target planet at an extremely fast pace.

She tried to pull back, to give herself time to help her partner, but there was no time - she had just entered the planet's atmosphere. The edges of the ship caught on fire as it shot down, down, down...right onto the hard ground, where pieces of it flew everywhere.

She flinched. The ship was almost gone now. Her only hope was to use the last of it for something useful. Holding back tears yet again, she faced the control panel and murmured, "Computer...find me a disguise. Find me the most concealing disguise available."

"Cer...tain...ly..." the dying computer answered hopelessly, searching its databases for information. Finally, a beam of green light shone down in front of her, and a few materials showed up. Pocketing them somehow, she turned to her computer once more.

"Transform," she told it, "Disguise yourself. Someday, I'll get you to function again, but for now, I'd like you to transform yourself into proper living quarters." The computer said nothing, but began to gradually metamorphose according to its user's request.

She walked over to her partner and lifted her into her arms. She looked dead now - like an empty shell. "...No..." she whispered, finally letting the tears out and watching them drop to the ground, "Please don't be dead. Please...don't leave me now..."

Suddenly, her partner's eyes turned red - their usual color. She sat up, shook her head a few times, and waved at her master. She was actually _smiling_ - her master had never seen her look happy. She wondered what had happened, and then abruptly figured it all out.

"Y-you..." she stuttered blankly, "You s-sacrified your...your sanity...for us." She gently put her partner down and looked away slightly. "You lost your mind so both of us could survive. And it's all my leaders' fault that you had to. You...d-didn't deserve this..."

"Hey, don't be sad, Master!" her partner cried optimistically, "I'm fine! Besides, today's a great day! Once the house is finished, let's get ice cream!" It was obvious - she wasn't like she used to be at all. Her master wondered if fixing her was even possible, but at least she had a personality now.

"I've taught myself many things about this species," she told herself, staring off into the distance, "and he's trapped here. The only way I can find him is to act normal. I'll pretend I'm normal. I'll live a normal life. And I'll find him. I'm not going to fail this time."


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to Skool

If you were walking along a certain sidewalk in a certain city in a certain country on a certain planet and during a certain time, you would have passed the Skool, the place of education for this certain city. It would stand in front of you, just as intimidating as always.

If you had walked inside and entered a certain classroom during that certain time, you would have noticed a strange creature with the physical appearance of a ten-year-old continuously tapping his finger on his desk with a bored expression on his face.

It wasn't that he already knew everything about the lesson that was being discussed - it was just that he knew there were better things he could have been doing at that moment. For instance, working on his plot to take over the world sounded exciting.

Almost nobody seemed to care about the fact that he had somewhat sickly-looking green skin and always spoke of world domination, calling the others "fleshbags" and whatnot. Most of the students were just unobservant, but maybe they were just that stupid.

His teacher, Miss Bitters, was blabbering on about the lesson, but she sounded just as bored as the creature looked. After all, it was obvious that she didn't really care about her students or what they did. As a matter of fact, she didn't even know the names of half of them.

A few seats away from the creature sat someone nobody knew. She was slouching a bit, hiding her face from the other students. The creature didn't really care much about the other students' affairs, so he didn't pay attention to what she did, or what anyone else did.

Suddenly, Miss Bitters slammed the textbook she had been holding down on her desk. Quite a few of the students jumped, including the creature in the front row. He stopped tapping his finger on the desk and assumed a position that looked vaguely interested.

"Class!" she shouted, getting to her feet and surveying her class as though it was full of bombs that were about to go off, "Today, we have yet another new student. Come on, give us some sort of introduction speech or whatever you new students do."

The girl shakily got to her feet. She had pale skin, long, dark hair, and dark eyes that occasionally glanced around the room. "Um, hi," she began quietly, "My name's Ray, and...I'm really interested in all sorts of things, including education, music, video games, and the paranormal."

A few desks down, another pale-skinned person's head shot up - a ten-year-old boy, to be exact. His automatic response to the word "paranormal" caused a few snickers and mixed whispering in the back of the room. After all, he was known as one of the most unpopular students in the class.

"Dib!" Miss Bitters almost-shouted, "What did I tell you about causing talking in the back of the room?" The boy's jet-black hair, which unusually resembled a scythe of some sort, drooped slightly as his eyes, which were masked by a pair of glasses, averted toward the floor.

"Sorry, Miss Bitters," he muttered, "I'll try not to be a prime subject for gossip next time." The creature up front had to stifle his laughter at his worst enemy's humiliation. His worst enemy, apparently called Dib, suppressed a scowl by watching as Ray sat back down.

Since he sat behind her, he didn't get a chance to see her face. She turned around quickly, thinking she had heard someone say her name, which gave Dib a chance to see what she looked like. Her dark eyes were focused intently on the back of the room, but then she noticed him.

For a brief moment, their eyes locked. He had never felt so nervous about talking to someone before. He decided to talk to this apparent paranormal lover after class. Looking away shyly, he suddenly decided that staring at the ground was the best idea.

Dib thought that nobody other than he and Ray had seen that, but in reality, the creature up front had noticed it. _What? _he asked himself, _Why is that idiot blushing? Did he embarrass himself yet again? _Realizing that he couldn't answer his own questions, he stopped asking them.

Class dragged on, and the creature kept sneaking glances at Ray, wondering what she had done to embarrass Dib. She wasn't doing anything interesting now - just scribbling on a piece of paper. _Most likely taking notes, _he thought, deciding to stop staring at her.

The creature couldn't see the piece of paper she was "taking notes" on. However, Dib could. She wasn't taking notes - she was doodling. Within a span of about two minutes, she had drawn a picture of something that was most likely herself.

_She's pretty good, _he thought, _Maybe I should ask her about that as well. _Suddenly, her eyes darted over to his face, wondering why he was staring at her. He blushed again and quickly returned to staring at the floor, wishing he knew more about maintaining eye contact.

As class finally ended, Ray waited for most of the other students to leave before getting up, putting her drawing in what looked like a binder of some sort, and left the classroom to go to lunch. Dib immediately got up and rushed out of the room to follow her.

By the time he had caught up with her, he was already out of breath. "...Hi," he told her breathlessly, "Um...You're Ray...right?" He had no idea why he had said that - he thought he sounded remarkably stupid - but it was too late to take his words back.

"Yes, that's right," she responded in a light, calm voice, "I'm Ray. What's your name?" For a brief moment, Dib forgot his own name, but it quickly came back to him as he tried to restrict himself from staring at her face as though he had never seen a human before.

"I'm Dib," he answered, "and, um...I heard you saying that you were interested in the paranormal. What exactly did you mean by that?" He couldn't help but think about how stupid he sounded, but decided to wait for Ray's response before jumping to conclusions.

"Nice to meet you, Dib," Ray began cheerfully, "To be precise, I'm interested in finding ghosts - I know I've seen a few before...but I don't have a camera that can actually capture them on film. Why do you ask?" Her smile almost completely disarmed him.

"W-well...um..." Dib stuttered, forgetting was he was going to say for a moment, "I'm...really interested in the paranormal." He managed to smile slightly, but could only hope he didn't look too much like an idiot. Because of Ray's general cheerfulness, he assumed he didn't.

"Cool!" Ray cried happily, "So what do you study? I haven't been studying ghosts for too long, but I've also been taking major breaks lately. Maybe I'll find a camera that could actually capture a ghost on film...someday." She smiled wistfully as she waited for Dib's response.

"I study pretty much everything," Dib admitted, still smiling, "Plus, I've been studying it since before I could even talk." Ray laughed a bit, which made Dib blush slightly. When she spoke again, her voice rang like thousands of tiny bells.

"Wow!" she told him, "I bet we could be really good friends, Dib! Want to sit with me at lunch?" Dib nodded, and the two newfound friends walked away, still laughing and discussing the paranormal as though each had known the other since they were infants.

...

The creature watched the other students enter the cafeteria and suddenly wondered where the new student - Ray, was it? - had sat. At first, he scanned the room without any idea, but then it came to him. He stared straight ahead and noticed Ray, sitting next to Dib.

He scowled. "Why is she sitting next to the biggest FREAK in this entire city?" he muttered to himself, "She's lost her mind already. That moron must have already taken over her mind. Of course, I could save her...but why would the mighty ZIM waste his time like that?"

"Stop talking to yourself, Zim," a random student muttered as he walked past. The strange little creature, apparently called Zim, sighed and crossed his arms angrily. Despite the fact that he hadn't even talked to the new girl, he still felt annoyed that Dib had already stolen her attention.

Not only was Zim angry at Dib, he was also angry at himself for even caring about the stupid new student. Why did she even matter? She was just a boring human who most likely didn't even have a life. Zim didn't even _like _humans...so what was going on?

"I'll just ignore her," he thought aloud, "I won't let her get in the way of my mission. As a matter of fact, I'll completely forget about her." One of the students sitting at a table close to his gave him a strange look. One glare from Zim got her looking the other way in fear.

Inside his head, Zim was feeling peaceful in an odd way. _She's just a human, _he thought, _She's not a problem. She doesn't matter to my mission, and she never will. _He uncrossed his arms and returned to poking the food on his tray with a fork.

Ironically, Ray noticed him just as he stopped paying attention to her. "Who's that?" she asked Dib, pointing to Zim, who was now staring at his food as though it was his opponent - with pure malice. She wondered if he had some sort of eating disorder.

"Oh, him?" Dib responded, trying to keep himself from speaking through clenched teeth, "That's Zim. He's...strange. That's really all you need to know about him." Dib felt reluctant to tell her that Zim was an alien...what if she was like the others? What if she only laughed at him?

Ray only smiled. "I see." They then returned to discussing all sorts of other things. At the mention of his name, however, Zim had suddenly looked up and found himself face-to-face with Ray. He held his gaze there for a moment before he thought better of it and looked away.

_That...was weird, _Ray thought, _Why is he staring at me? It's like he's...expecting me to do something. Maybe something really _is _wrong with him. _She decided to put the thought out of her head and decided that talking with Dib would help her forget about it.

Meanwhile, Zim was wondering what the heck had just happened. _I...stared at her for...probably just a second. What the heck was that? _Like Ray, he figured that getting the thought out of his head would be the best idea, but unlike Ray, he got it out by poking his food with a fork.

...

The rest of the day flew by like an eagle over the ocean. Dib couldn't pay attention in class - he was too busy thinking about Ray. Ray was paying attention, but only half of her mind was actually occupied with the lesson. Zim, on the other hand, was staring at Ray again.

After a few seconds of this, he stopped staring, wondering what was coming over him. He felt like an idiot - _Why can't I stop staring at her? Is there something wrong with her...? _He sighed, deciding that staring at the new student was the dumbest thing he had ever done.

About forty-five minutes later, the students were greeted with a welcome surprise - rain. Most of the students loved rain - especially Dib. He smiled and almost fell asleep when he heard the relaxing noise of rain tapping at the window he was sitting close to.

Dib had other reasons for liking rain, but he ignored them at that moment. After all, Skool was only a few minutes away from ending. That meant he could finally go home, and possibly relax for once. It had been quite a while since he had done anything calming.

It seemed like Ray brought out these feelings in him. He almost completely forgot about his main goal in life while talking to her. He was actually enjoying himself. Before he could dwell on this any longer, the bell rang and most of the students rushed outside.

The only ones who hadn't walked out into the rain yet were Zim, Ray, and Dib. Dib walked up to Ray, who was staring out into the rainfall. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow, right?" he asked excitedly. Ray turned around and smiled when she noticed Dib.

"Right!" she responded cheerfully. Dib waved quickly and walked off into the rain. Ray watched him go, opened up a black umbrella, and stepped out into the rain. It wasn't all that heavy, but heavy enough so that if Ray hadn't brought an umbrella, she would've been soaked by the time she got home.

Most of the other students were racing around and stomping in all the puddles with gleeful expressions on their faces. The only one Ray could see who wasn't was Zim. He was far ahead of her, and also carrying an umbrella. He looked strangely bored.

Ray rushed up to him, being careful not to drop her umbrella. "Hello!" she began happily, "You're Zim, right?" Zim turned to stare at her, and for a moment, she remembered the weird look he gave her at lunch. When he spoke, however, she forgot about it.

"Yeah," Zim muttered, "And you're Ray, correct?" Ray nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about other things...like Dib, and how he was the first friend she had made here. She smiled, recalling how he had run into her in the hallway.

Zim interrupted her thoughts by asking her, "Why aren't you playing in the rain like everyone else? All the other students seem to be doing it. Why not you?" He sounded somewhat dark and even depressed. Ray wondered what was on his mind.

"Oh, I don't know," she told him casually, "It...makes me feel kind of...weird. You know, not weird as in funny, but weird as in..._weird._" Zim was about to give her a look, but restricted himself - how would she react if he stared at her again? Maybe she wouldn't care...

"What do you mean?" Zim asked quietly, "Can you elaborate?" Ray sighed and tried to find the right words to say so her response made sense. After what seemed like an eternity of choosing the right words to use, Ray finally spoke up in a cheerful-sounding voice.

"Well," she answered, staring off into the distance again, "it's kind of hard to explain. It just makes me feel weird, and there's not much more I can say. Does that work for you?" Zim nodded, and Ray only smiled again. Before long, she was walking faster and picking up speed.

"Guess I have to go now," she stated, "See you tomorrow!" She took off running and disappeared into the heavy rain. Zim watched her go, unable to think of any explanation as to why he couldn't stop staring at her. He sighed, stared at his feet, and decided to just go home.


	3. Chapter 2: Partnered with You

As soon as Ray left her house that morning, Dib rushed up to her, having noticed her house on the walk to Skool. "Good morning, Ray!" he told her cheerfully, "Do you want to walk to Skool with me?" He had the feeling that she would say yes, but had asked her just to make sure.

"Oh, sure!" she told him, "Gladly!" Dib could hear an odd yipping sound coming from inside her house. "I'll take care of that..." Ray murmured, entering her house for a split-second. The yipping stopped, and Dib thought he could see Ray carrying a small animal around.

When she came back, she noticed Dib's confused expression and explained, "That's my pet fox, Vir. She can be really sweet, but is also kind of crazy." Dib laughed and started walking with Ray walking beside him. Within seconds, they were lost in a whole other conversation.

Neither of them noticed the figure watching them from up in a tree. That figure just happened to be Zim. He was staring at the back of Ray's head, her long, dark hair blowing slightly in the breeze. It was actually kind of...pretty. She was kind of pretty.

_Wait, _Zim thought, _What am I saying? Humans are disgusting creatures! What's gotten into me? _He craned his neck to see more of what Ray and Dib were doing - perhaps to hear more of their conversation - but tripped over another branch and fell onto the grass with a yelp of shock.

"Oh, my gosh!" Ray cried, "Are you okay?" She immediately climbed up over the fence and dropped down onto her neighbor's lawn...only to find Zim, sprawled out on the grass and somehow not bleeding...much. There was some red blood on the grass, but not much.

"Zim!" Ray screamed, "Zim! What happenend?" Recognizing Ray's voice, Zim looked up and saw her worried eyes staring into his own. He struggled to get up, but couldn't - he was in too much pain. He twitched slightly, wishing he hadn't fallen at all.

"I...I fell out of a tree," he moaned quietly. In but an instant, Zim felt Ray's arms under him. She lifted him up and got him back on his feet. Zim staggered a little, but then managed to stay up. He shot Ray a weak smile and leaned up against the fence.

"Th-thank you," he stuttered, wondering why it was so awkward to talk to her. She smiled and took his hand, and the two of them climbed back over the fence. Their feet touched the sidewalk at the exact same time. Dib looked up, noticed Zim, and frowned a bit.

"You're welcome," she responded, "Do you want to walk to Skool with Dib and me?" Zim said nothing at first, because right when he was about to, a tiny voice interrupted his thoughts. At first, he couldn't hear what it was saying, but then he came back to Earth.

_What are you DOING? _the voice shouted, _You're ruining your reputation! You look like an idiot doing this! Stop it! STOP IT! _Zim shook his head wildly, trying to get the voice out of his head, until he realized the voice was right - he _did _look like an idiot.

"Um, no thanks," he muttered, "See you in class." He then took off, running as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. At the same time, he tried to convince himself that walking with Ray wasn't worth anything. _After all, Dib was with her. Dib, my worst enemy..._

Zim ended up arriving at Skool much earlier than Ray and Dib. By the time they arrived, class was already about to start. Ray waved at Dib before taking her seat. Zim looked the other way, not wanting to get entranced by her stare yet again.

Class started right then. "Students," Miss Bitters began, skipping over the "good mornings," "The principal has asked me to assign an extremely difficult science project. This will also involve me choosing who your partners will be. So, let's draw some names out of a perfectly normal hat."

Zim felt storm clouds forming above his head. A _human _partner? For a science project? _Ugh. _Normally, he finished these projects within about one day - by getting a computer to do them for him. However, he knew this time would be different.

After several names being drawn out of the dirty-looking top hat, Dib finally heard his name being called. He looked up hopefully, daydreaming of fantasies in which he and Ray would get to be partners. However, when the name "Willie" was called, Dib buried his face in his hands. _This is going to be a long project..._

Zim held back laughter as he saw the stupid kid called Willie pick his nose in the back of the room, but was suddenly on high alert when Miss Bitters called his name. _Please let it be someone who's at least somewhat smart so we can get this finished quickly, _he thought.

"Zim," Miss Bitters muttered, "Your partner is...Ray." Ray looked over at Zim - an expression of mixed shock and horror was frozen onto his face - and waved happily. Zim didn't respond - he was too horrified at the name the hat had given him.

As Miss Bitters passed out sheets of paper that put the subject of the science project in better detail, Zim looked over at Ray again. She was looking up at their teacher as if she was being taught how to live forever. Under normal circumstances, Zim would've laughed, but this was Ray.

Dib, on the other hand, was furious. _Seriously? _he thought, _My worst enemy gets partnered with my new best friend? _A low growl echoed from the back of his throat as he glared directly at Zim. Zim was too busy being terrified about his partner to notice.

Ray was completely oblivious to the nasty thoughts that were going through Dib's head and the scared ones that went through Zim's. She was only happy about getting to be partners with the guy she had helped that morning. True, she was sad about not being able to partner with Dib, but oh, well.

After a long explanation about the project that gradually led into a whole different lesson, Zim had finally calmed down, but only slightly. Dib was still furious, squeezing his desk like he was about to break it. Ray, on the other hand, was actually paying attention to the lesson.

Dib blinked and tried to think about good things. Ray was the only thing on his mind, though. He hadn't noticed the look of shock on Zim's face, and had no idea that Zim really didn't want to partner with Ray. The irony of the situation was ironic in itself.

Several lessons went by, and Dib gradually sank back into his usual routine of half-paying attention and half-thinking about Ray. Zim was stil nervous about partnering with Ray - _What if I do something stupid in front of her? What if my whole plan gets ruined...?_

Zim still had no idea about why he felt so worried while he was around Ray. She was just a new student - nothing special...except that she had somehow become Dib's friend. That, and the fact that she just...wasn't like the others. Zim didn't know why.

...

Ray entered the cafeteria to find that Dib had already sat down, and was waving at her. He had a strange look on his face - he looked like he had been positively furious just a little while ago. Ray wondered what could have made him so angry.

In an instant, her eyes darted over to where Zim sat. He was staring down at his tray, still not eating. Ray wondered why he never seemed to eat much. _Maybe he's on a diet or something, _she thought to herself, _I probably shouldn't pry into his personal life._

"Just a second, Dib!" she called, walking over to Zim. Dib watched her, smiling in a way that almost looked fake. Inside, he was storming - he had a bad feeling about Ray and Zim being partnered - maybe it was just because he and Zim were worst enemies.

As Ray approached, Zim still didn't look up. Ray wondered why he seemed to be ignoring her. _It's almost as if...he doesn't like me. _Her smile faded slightly. _How could he hate me? Did I do something to offend him? I hope I didn't do anything wrong..._

"Um..." she began, sounding slightly nervous, "Hi, Zim." At first, Zim didn't do anything at all, but then looked up and just stared at her. His expression was slightly empty, as though he had just completely forgotten what he was about to say.

Finally, he spoke up. "Hello, Ray," he muttered, staring at the floor, "Is there something you want to tell me?" He sounded slightly nervous, which confused Ray even further. However, she ignored it and decided to respond as though she felt perfectly normal.

"So...I guess we're partners for the project, huh?" Ray asked quietly, rocking back and forth on her heels. Zim wondered why she was just reminding him of his imminent doom. Like her, he decided to sound normal, despite the storm of thoughts that filled his head.

"Yeah, I guess so," Zim responded, still not looking up, "Why?" He quickly gestured to the seat next to him, and Ray sat down, hoping that was what he meant. She supposed that it was, because Zim was looking at her again. She guessed that meant that he was okay.

"Um, I was wondering..." she murmured, suddenly feeling sort of shy, "...if we could work on the project after Skool?" She looked up at Zim hopefully, wondering what was going on inside his head. His eyes, gray and somewhat cold-looking, told her nothing.

"Sure," Zim answered, smiling slightly, "I guess we could work on it at my house." Inside, the voice in his head that was obviously against Ray was screaming in protest. "Would that be okay with you?" His smile faded again due to shyness, but appeared again as Ray spoke up.

"Yeah, that would be great," she told him, "So where is it?" She glanced over at Dib, who was giving her a pained expression. Ray wondered if she had somehow hurt his feelings, and knew she would have to go over there in a little while and apologize.

"I'll walk you there after Skool," Zim explained, trying to ignore the voice in his head, which was now yelling as loud as possible in an attempt to torture him, "Meet me out front once class ends." Ray nodded to show that she understood, and the two of them became silent.

For a few seconds, Ray stared down at the table, wondering what to do. Zim, on the other hand, was staring at her, wondering why he just couldn't stop doing that. Ray's eyes darted up, noticed Dib's hurt look, and realized that he was waiting for her.

"I'll see you after Skool," she stated, getting up. She waved slightly before walking away, and as she walked over to where Dib was, she caught a glimpse of Zim waving at her. _He's so shy, _she thought, still smiling, _but it's kind of cute._

"Hey," Dib began, sounding just as hurt as his expression was, "Why were you talking to Zim? Is something up?" Ray smiled a little, hoping it would cheer him up a bit, and sat down next to him. Dib looked less pained, but only slightly...it was as though he had just been punched.

"Well, since we're partners, I thought we'd plan to meet up after Skool and work on the project," Ray explained, still smiling. Dib stared down at the ground sadly. His younger sister, Gaz, was sitting across from them, lost in a video game and totally ignoring them.

"Oh," Dib muttered gloomily, "I...I guess that's fine." He had the strange feeling that Ray was in danger. After all, he knew who Zim really was, and if Ray figured that out, she could get killed. Dib didn't want her to die - she was...well, she was pretty much his first friend.

"Is something wrong?" Ray asked gently, tilting her head slightly in confusion. Had Dib looked up and saw her worried face, he would've noticed how her dark eyes seemed to grow larger as she stared straight at him. However, he felt too shy and sad to even bother.

"Nothing's wrong," Dib murmured, dropping his voice so nobody would hear, "It's just...have you noticed that Zim is kind of...strange?" He was trying to convince Ray that being within a five-foot radius of Zim would probably end her life, but it wasn't working.

"I guess so," Ray answered, blinking inquisitively, "but isn't everyone? You're pretty strange - no offense," she continued, smiling a little, "and I'm strange. Our teacher is strange, and everyone is strange...wow, I'm overusing the word 'strange.'" She laughed quietly, but Dib didn't even smile.

"It's not that," he told his friend, wishing he could stare into her eyes without completely losing it, "It's...um, I don't know...Zim is just...out there. He's even kind of deadly." He carefully avoided certain words, because if Zim heard what he was saying, he would be good as dead.

"Deadly?" Ray asked, taking Dib's hand in hers, "Don't worry. I'll be fine, I promise. And if something bad happens, well...oh, I don't know. We're friends, right? I won't get into any trouble. I can take care of myself, after all." Her smile completely disarmed him.

An electric current surged through Dib's arm as Ray took his hand. He felt his face grow red, and he looked up into her eyes, not really knowing what to say. He didn't think Ray could stop Zim if he threatened her, but if she ever got stuck like that...

"Okay," Dib almost-whispered, smiling faintly, "And if you get into trouble, I promise I'll protect you." Ray's eyes widened, although the blush that shone through her pale cheeks was almost invisible. She completely froze, unsure about what to say.

_He just promised that he would protect me, _she told herself, _What do I say to that? Should I...tell him I'll protect him as well? Should I just sit here like an idiot and say nothing? I have no idea. _Finally, she came up with a small solution - she laughed almost-inaudibly.

"That's really sweet of you," Ray responded softly, "If I ever get into trouble, I'll just call your name. You'll be my hero." Hero. The word sounded different when she said it like that. Instead of thinking of a knight in shining armor, she thought of Dib, avoiding obstacles just to protect her.

Ray blushed harder as Dib spoke up. "Hero," he murmured quietly, "I guess that sums it up." He paused then, because he couldn't think of anything else to say. As far as the ten-year-old knew, there wasn't anything better to say, and that was all that mattered.

Unbeknownst to Ray and Dib, they were actually being watched. Their watcher was Zim, who's eyes had followed Ray's path as she walked away. About halfway through, their voices had become softer, so he couldn't hear them from that distance, but their eyes told him everything.

There was a strange look in their eyes that Zim couldn't place. The way their faces were turning slightly pink made him wonder if they had somehow gotten sick. He had to face the facts - he had no idea what they were saying, but whatever it was, he didn't like it.

In order to take his mind off of their conversation, Zim tried to focus on the science project. He hadn't been listening to the explanation, but Ray had been, so maybe the two of them would get the project done quickly. He hoped so - he wanted to get this Ray business over with.


	4. Chapter 3: Working Together

When the final bell rang, Ray waited for several of her classmates to leave the room before getting up and leaving, just to make sure she didn't get swept along with the crowd. She wanted to leave at her own pace, not at everyone else's set speed.

She left the classroom, only to find that Dib was walking a few feet in front of her. He appeared to be staring at his feet instead of looking up and facing the world. _Is something wrong? _Ray thought, _Maybe he's still nervous about me working with Zim._

"Hey, Dib!" she called, walking up to him, "What's up?" She tried to smile, but Dib's slightly dejected expression sucked the happiness out of her. She wondered if he had always been like this before she had arrived. For a moment, Ray had the feeling she might've been the cause of it.

"Nothing much," Dib muttered quietly, "Are you going to go meet up with Zim?" Ray remembered the conversation the two of them had had at lunch and hoped that Dib had forgotten about the whole "Zim-is-evil" thing. To her, it sounded too far-fetched to be true.

"Yeah," she told him, trying to hold a smile on her face but not really succeeding, "I, um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow...maybe." She waved quickly before walking ahead of him, probably looking for Zim, who was somewhere outside of the building.

Once she was gone, Dib almost collapsed. He felt horrible all of a sudden - he still had that bad feeling about Ray working with Zim, along with a rather abrupt feeling of sleepiness. _Maybe hanging out with Ray just sucks the energy out of me, _he thought.

Dib watched as Ray walked out of the front doors, embracing the sunshine as though it was a long-lost friend. She seemed to have an air of optimism wherever she went. He had the feeling that her "joy shield" would eventually shatter, but he didn't want to be the one to break it.

He could hear footsteps coming from behind him - Gaz always preferred to walk behind him and never arrive home first. Dib wondered why that was, but ignored it - he was still thinking about Ray. As soon as he thought of her and Zim, however, he slipped into a daydream.

He had a strange vision of himself, jumping down from a balcony to save Ray. She was trapped - stuck in a strange machine, with Zim monitoring her every move. Dib was prepared for anything, however. He karate-kicked Zim, sending him flying, and then rescued Ray.

"Thank you, Dib," the daydream-Ray told him, "You're my hero." Just then, he snapped out of his vision to find that Gaz was standing right behind him and glaring at him as though she was a hungry tiger and he was her prey. Dib flinched slightly and continued walking.

"S-sorry, Gaz," he stuttered, walking faster in order to escape her stare. Gaz stood there for a few moments before continuing to walk home. Her stare was cold and lifeless, sort of like that of a doll's. Dib started running then, and was out of the building in a matter of seconds.

Ray was about to say something as he passed her, but he was running too fast. "Dib?" she called, voice dropping slightly, "Are...are you okay?" When he just raced away, she sighed and stood under the Skool's shady front covering, her heart somewhat heavy.

Ray felt dark and lonely, wondering if she had hurt Dib somehow. She stared down at her feet, the so-called "joy shield" she had quivering with her gloomy feelings. A part of her just wanted to follow him, but she was supposed to stay there, so she did nothing.

If Zim hadn't walked up at that very moment and tapped her on the shoulder, she wouldn't have ever noticed him. "Ray?" he asked quietly, "Are you ready to go?" The voice in his head was shouting as though it was burning to death at the sight of Ray, but he ignored it.

Ray looked up and turned around in order to face Zim. "...Sure," she responded, hoping she didn't sound too sad, "I'm ready." She tried to smile, but her smile was weak and frail, about to collapse at any moment. Zim noticed this, and tried to cheer her up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering why he was attempting to comfort a filthy human, "Did...Dib...do something to you?" He resisted the temptation to call him a stupid worm by looking into Ray's eyes. For a moment, he was completely lost, but then Ray spoke up.

"Actually, no," she murmured, feeling kind of depressed, "It's just...I feel like _I _did something bad to _him._ Did you see him just race out of the building? I was just talking to him a minute ago." She held back tears as she almost-whispered, "Do you think he...hates me?"

Zim didn't know what to say to that - almost everyone he knew hated him. "I don't think you did anything to him, Ray," he told her sympathetically, "You were on such friendly terms earlier." He almost hissed out the word "friendly," remembering how weird they had been acting.

"Thanks, Zim," Ray responded, her smile returning slightly, "You know...Dib said you were strange, but...I think you're kind of nice." _Nice._ The word hung in Zim's head as soon as Ray spoke it. For a moment, he did nothing, but then the full reality came to him.

_Nice. She thinks I'm...nice. Why? I'm supposed to be strong! Mighty! Powerful! Not...NICE! _A calmer, more rational part of his mind then shut the other voice off, effectively cooling Zim off. _It's perfectly okay, _he thought, _She just thinks incorrectly, that's all._

"Okay, then," Zim muttered, staring straight ahead, "Let's go." He then walked down the front steps and down the sidewalk, with Ray following him. Her feet were light, barely touching the ground as she took steps. Her shoes and Zim's shoes almost made the exact same noises against the ground.

Suddenly, Ray and Zim stepped into the sunlight. Ray paused and looked around, but then continued to follow Zim. Zim wondered what had caused her stop, but then decided to ignore it. After all, his house wasn't all that far away from Skool in the first place.

Whereas Zim just looked forward, paying no attention to what was around him, Ray took in every little detail about every tree, bush, and patch of grass. Even the tiniest flower that had just bloomed for the very first time caught her dark, watchful eyes. To Zim, it was all very confusing.

When they finally arrived at his house, Ray stared up at it as though it was a huge, regal palace. "Whoa," she began, her eyes widening, "This is your house?" She glanced around, staring at the strange gnomes and the "I HEART EARTH" flag in the front yard.

"Yeah," Zim answered, unable to hold back his smile, "You like it?" Ray nodded as Zim stepped up to the front door. As usual, it was unlocked, so he just opened the door and went inside. Ray followed him, gently closing the door behind her as she went.

In but an instant, the dark-haired girl was staring at everything, finding it impossible to stop smiling. "This is so cool!" she remarked, dancing around and viewing everything that was visible at that moment. She took in one thing and then moved on to the next at a speedy pace.

"Thanks," Zim responded, walking up to Ray and standing next to her, "So...are you ready to start on that project?"

...

A few minutes later, Ray had set up a small laptop computer and was looking over the directions on how to complete the project with a look of extreme fascination. "Hey, Zim," she began, "What's your last name? I'm getting ready to start on the essay."

"Uh...it's..." Zim stuttered anxiously, not sure about what to tell her, "I...don't really have one." This was followed by some nervous laughter. Ray looked up in confusion for a second, but then quickly typed what appeared to be the word "Zim" on the document.

"That's funny," she told Zim, typing her name alongside his, "I don't really have one either." She also laughed nervously, and for a moment, the room felt very awkward. Both Ray and Zim stood there in silence, staring at one another and unsure about what to say.

Finally, Zim spoke up. "Were you paying attention during the lesson?" he asked Ray, "I kind of...wasn't. Did you understand everything?" He nervously glanced at one of the spots where his computer would usually appear if he needed it, and wished he could just finish the project with its help.

Although Zim expected Ray to be annoyed at him for not paying attention, she only laughed cheerfully. "It's okay," she answered, smiling, "I forget to pay attention sometimes, too. Don't worry, I think I have everything down - after all, I took some notes as well."

"Oh," Zim replied, looking away shyly, "Well, that's good." He then sat down next to Ray - she had been sitting at a table that had been inexplicably set up before she had arrived. She stared into his gray eyes as though he was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

After a few moments of preparation to start on the project, Zim finally saw the full extent of Ray's mental ability. Not only was she smart, she was also very sweet, and was willing to help him out with anything he needed help with. She was just so...helpful.

The hours dragged on, and both Ray and Zim forgot to mention dinnertime. It didn't really matter, though, because neither of them actually felt hungry. However, the project was rather large - perhaps the biggest one for the whole Skool year - so it was taking quite a while.

Ray wasn't entirely focused on the project - thoughts about Dib still lingered in the back of her mind. She was a little nervous about Dib's statement from that afternoon - _Zim is just...out there. He's even kind of deadly. _The very thought of Zim being deadly worried her.

Meanwhile, Zim was very lost in thought as well. However, it wasn't about Dib - it was about Ray. _What makes her so different? _he thought, _She's smart, and actually pretty nice to me. But...why would anybody even want to be nice to me? I'm...well, I'm just plain weird._

Zim stopped working for a moment to think about that. Some of the students at Skool were probably friendly, but were also afraid of him, or thought he was weird. Ray seemed to ignore the whole "weird" thing. _Maybe that's why she's different, _Zim thought.

He was rather abruptly interrupted from his thoughts by Ray, who was staring directly into his eyes again. "Zim?" she asked softly, "Are you alright? You seem kind of distant. Is something on your mind?" She hoped she wasn't prying into his personal life too much.

"Well, yes," Zim muttered, trying to stay focused on the project, "but I'm fine. It's just...oh, I have no idea. You're just...so different from everyone else I've met. I'm not really sure what to say about that." He smiled slightly, hoping she wouldn't feel insulted or anything.

"You're the same way, Zim," Ray responded, absentmindedly doodling a flower on the corner of one of the pieces of paper that had been strewn across the table, "I mean, you and Dib...you seem so different. The rest of the class doesn't even compare to you two."

Zim said nothing - he only returned to working on the project. _Of course she brings up that bucket of slime, _he thought miserably, _I almost forgot that they engaged in "friendly behavior" today at lunch. Wonderful. _He sighed and began doing calculations on a piece of scrap paper.

Ray was about to ask if something was wrong, but held it back. _I'll bet that he doesn't like Dib, _she thought, _and he's probably annoyed at me for mentioning him. I feel like such an idiot now. _She restricted herself from slapping her forehead by working on the essay.

After a few minutes, however, Ray and Zim were probably on friendly terms again, because Zim decided to start another conversation. "Hey," he began casually, "Have you met my dog before?" Ray looked up, considered his question for about one second, and then shook her head.

"I don't think so," she answered, "Why? Am I allowed to see him?" She giggled happily, and then looked up at Zim expectantly. It was as though their previous conversation had never even happened. Ray's eyes practically glowed as she stared at her partner.

"Sure," Zim told her, "Wait here - I'll go get him." He got to his feet and left the room, walking down the hall and entering a certain bedroom. The bed appeared to be much too big for the small, green dog who was sleeping in it and cuddling what looked like a rubber piggy.

"Gir," Zim commanded in a suddenly serious tone, "Wake up." The dog, apparently called Gir, immediately sat up and sprang out of the bed, tail wagging erratically. Zim's expression was stern and almost evil-looking, unlike the gentle look he usually had when he was around Ray.

"Hi, Master!" Gir cried excitedly, tail still wagging crazily, "What's up?" Had the circumstances been different, Gir could have been embraced as the world's first talking dog. However, the circumstances weren't going that way, so Gir's ability was kept secret.

"I have a...guest over," Zim muttered seriously, "Your job is to act adorable and pretend to be a regular dog." He growled quietly - Gir was pretty much bound to mess up the "regular dog" part. Sure, he could probably get the "adorable" part right, but nothing else.

"A guest?" Gir asked, "That's new, Master...but okay." As Zim left the room, Gir followed him, still walking on two feet. Zim had the feeling that Ray wouldn't really care whether he walked on all fours or not, but he was still kind of nervous about what he was going to do.

"Ray?" Zim called, reentering the room the two of them had been working in, "This is Gir." Ray whirled around, noticed Gir, and let out a squeal of delight when he jumped on her. Within seconds, she and Gir were play-fighting childishly on the ground.

"I have a pet fox a little like this at home," she told Zim between wild bursts of laughter, "You should definitely meet her sometime!" She would've said more, but at that moment, Gir had jumped onto her head and was staring into her dark eyes in an upside-down position.

Zim looked up at the wall clock and felt slightly depressed as he noticed how late it was. Ray noticed it as well, and got to her feet, letting Gir run around in circles on his own. "Wow, it's getting late..." she remarked, beginning to pack everything up, "Guess I should head home."

"Yeah...I guess so," Zim responded, helping her get everything together. Gir watched them, occasionally leaping up onto the table and helping them sort things out. When everything was finished, Ray walked off, but turned around before she left.

"Zim," she began, still smiling, "Do you want to come to my house tomorrow after Skool to work on the project some more? Don't worry, I'll show you where it is." Gir tugged on his master's arm frantically, letting him know that he really wanted him to go over there.

"Sure," Zim answered, the smile on his face refusing to fade, "I'll see you tomorrow." Ray waved once more and then left Zim's house. He watched her go, and then stood outside, looking up at the stars and wondering why Ray was just so...special.


	5. Chapter 4: Plans with Someone Else

Dib dashed down the sidewalk in an almost-erratic manner, trying to catch up with Ray as she made her way to Skool. He had stopped at her house and knocked on her door politely, but the only response he got was Vir's erratic yipping coming from inside.

He had had an idea that morning - an idea that he thought would be perfect for him and Ray. _What if we went to see a movie together? _he thought happily, _That would be so much fun! Plus, it would be with Ray, and that makes everything better, no matter what._

Suddenly, Dib spotted Ray in the distance. "Ray!" he called as loudly as he possibly could, "Hey, Ray! I have a great idea! Ray! Ray?" He sped up, trying desperately to catch up with his friend. When he finally did, however, the response he got wasn't what he expected.

"I'm not Ray," the student Dib had thought was Ray muttered angrily, "I don't even know who that is." Dib blushed hard - he hadn't even considered the possibility that the figure he had seen wasn't actually Ray. He stepped back clumsily, stumbling over a crack in the sidewalk as he did so.

"Um, sorry," he responded nervously, waiting for her to walk away before continuing on his way to Skool. Dib felt like a huge idiot - he hated getting into affairs like this, and he desperately wished it hadn't happened at all. Plus, he had no idea where Ray was...

Suddenly, someone tapped Dib on the shoulder. "Hey," an all-too-familiar voice began, "What's up?" Dib whirled around and found himself face-to-face with Ray. He had no idea how that had happened, and felt kind of embarrassed about not noticing Ray at all.

"H-hi, Ray," Dib stuttered, almost toppling over backwards, "How did you...get there? I didn't see you at your house, so..." He felt like bashing his head up against a rock - the way he had asked that question sounded so...so _stupid. _Dib wondered why he had even decided to ask it.

"Oh, I wasn't?" Ray asked, wide eyes right up in Dib's face, "I'm sorry. I was taking a scenic route to Skool...and by that, I mean leaping through the trees." She smiled innocently, as though her deepest, darkest secret had been revealed. Dib only looked shocked.

"Wow," he breathed, looking surprised, "That's...really cool. So, um, anyway..." For a moment, he forgot what he was going to say, but then it came to him. "I...I had this idea about something we could do after Skool today. Do you...want to see a movie with me?"

Ray was about to say yes, but then her smile faded and she stared down at the sidewalk. "Um..." she murmured, looking guilty, "...I'm sorry, but...I can't." She looked back up into Dib's eyes, hoping he would forgive her for being unable to see a movie with him.

Dib stared at the ground sadly. "Oh," he responded, "Well...um...why can't you?" The dark clouds that now hung over his abnormally large head cast a shadow over him and just made him feel worse. He felt like he had set himself up and had been so happy...for nothing.

"You see...I have plans with someone else," Ray explained, "I'm sorry. Really, Dib, I'm sorry. I really want to see a movie with you, but I have plans. Can we go see it tomorrow? I'll probably be free then." As she smiled happily, Dib's dark clouds completely evaporated.

"Okay, sure!" he told Ray, "Do you mind if I still walk to Skool with you?" Ray shook her head, and the two of them began their journey to Skool. Ray and Dib conversed as though nothing had happened - they were just so friendly with each other. Dib had never been so friendly with someone before.

However, everything was interrupted about sixteen feet away from where they had started walking. Ray stopped as she heard someone's feet hit the sidewalk right behind her. She turned around, confused, and was suddenly staring into Zim's gray eyes.

"Hi," Zim began shyly, backing away slightly, "Um...what's up?" He felt like an idiot for sounding so nervous, but ignored that thought. Dib was giving him an annoyed look, but Ray only smiled. Zim smiled back, still feeling kind of shy, but trying to be brave.

"Good morning, Zim," Ray replied, hair tumbling down her shoulders like a cascade of dark water, "I think the sky is up, if that's what you mean." She laughed quietly, and Dib tried to ignore how friendly she was acting toward his worst enemy. However, it wasn't doing him much good.

Zim laughed along with her. "Um, so I was wondering...can I...walk to Skool with you?" he asked anxiously, looking up at Ray with a somewhat-bashful expression. Dib felt a sudden surge of anger as Ray stepped closer and took Zim's hand in hers.

"Sure," she responded, smiling warmly, "Everyone's welcome." A little while later, Ray and Zim were walking hand in hand, not really discussing much, but looking into each other's eyes and wondering why the other seemed so different to them. Neither one could think of much to say, anyway.

Dib, on the other hand, was furious. _Now my worst enemy steals her attention? _he thought angrily, _We'll see about that. After all, Ray and I are supposed to be friends, and I vowed I would protect her. I'm not breaking that vow...if Zim hurts her, I'll destroy him!_

Normally, Ray would've asked Dib if something was wrong, but she was too far away and distant to pay attention. She was too busy thinking about Zim. _Why is he so different from everyone else? _she thought, staring into Zim's eyes, _He's so shy, but he's also really sweet._

Zim was just as lost as Ray was. _Ray, _he thought, wishing he could say the words he was thinking about, _why are you so nice to me? I'm a freak. Nobody ever likes the freak, and yet...you seem to. Is that why you are so strange in my mind? Is that why you seem so special?_

Dib had no idea what Ray and Zim were thinking about, but he didn't like it. The way they were staring into each other's eyes made him nervous. _If they become actual friends, _he thought sadly, _I might never get to talk to Ray again. I don't even think Zim likes humans._

Just then, the three of them arrived at Skool. Zim and Ray finally let go of each other's hands to race into the building, but that was all. Dib followed them, beginning to feel the storm clouds form above his head and rain all over his black scythe hair.

...

Zim could barely even pay enough attention to the fact that he wasn't supposed to be paying attention to Ray. Instead, the two of them kept sneaking glances from across the room, and occasionally waving at one another. It was enough to make Dib sick.

As a matter of fact, he felt pretty sick when he saw Ray lean back at her desk and wave at Zim. He wished Miss Bitters would catch them and get both of them embarrassed, just like he had been on Ray's first day at Skool. He wished he could hear everyone laugh at them instead of him.

Dib buried his face in his hands. _What am I saying? _he thought, _Ray is my friend, not my enemy! _He looked up and suddenly noticed that everyone was staring at him. _Oh, crap. _Those hadn't been thoughts - he had just said those words _out loud..._in front of Ray.

Most of the students burst out laughing, and Miss Bitters glared at him, but Ray was staring at him with a look of genuine compassion. Her eyes were wide and confused, and Dib wished he could tell her how he felt. However, he felt too nervous to say another word.

Class resumed then, but the students in the back were still giggling about it. Occasionally, Dib heard them mimic his words - "Ray is my friend, not my enemy!" and listened to their idiotic laughter that followed the copying. He wished he could disappear - fade away into thin air.

Nervousness pulsed, fresh and alive, in Ray's mind. _Why would I be his enemy? _she thought worriedly, _Does this have something to do with Zim? Oh, I hope not. _She looked over at Zim, who was staring at her again. She smiled weakly, and he smiled back.

The rest of class passed by pretty much uneventfully. Once, Ray caught Dib staring at her and waved happily, but he only gave her a dejected look. Ray sighed and decided that the only way to get away from everything that was going on was to draw. She got out a piece of paper and started doodling.

When she finished the drawing, she looked down and noticed that it was of Zim. She gripped her pencil firmly and drew Dib across from him. She then drew herself in the middle, looking somewhat nervous and tense. Her imagination was going absolutely wild.

While Miss Bitters talked about the black plague epidemic, Ray drew a border of black flowers around her picture. While the class had a rather short discussion period, she drew faint storm clouds in the background, wondering why she was drawing something that seemed so real.

As class neared its end, Ray put the picture in her art binder and wished she wasn't stuck in such a bind. She looked over at Zim and noticed he was waving at her, and had probably been trying to get her attention for the past few minutes. She waved back, but shyly.

Dib hadn't been trying to get Ray's attention - he had been trying to avoid it. He didn't want to talk to her - he just wanted to leave the room. The whispers about what he had said earlier were dying down, but a few still lingered, and they still made him feel horrible.

Dib stared out the window and at the bright sunshine. Something told him that it would gradually die down, and maybe even rain. He sighed - rain would probably cheer him up, but the chances of it raining were pretty unlikely. He wondered what Zim was up to.

When he looked over at his worst enemy, he noticed that Zim was still occasionally staring at Ray, and she was still staring back. However, before he could ponder this any longer, class ended and the students began to filter out of the classroom like water flowing through a current.

Dib immediately got to his feet, realizing that Ray would probably wait for the others to leave before walking down the hall. However, when he paused to wait for her, he realized that Ray and Zim were nowhere in sight - they had left with everyone else.

Dib tried to go along with the crowd, but they were already too far gone for him to follow. His only hope was to go as fast as he possibly could in order to catch up with his best friend and his worst enemy. However, his chances of catching up with them were slim.

When Dib finally entered the cafeteria, the place was already packed with students from all over the Skool. He tried to catch a glimpse of Ray's dark hair somewhere in the crowd, but he found nothing. When the students finally cleared, however, he found them.

Ray and Zim were looking around, probably trying to find an empty table. There was one a short walk away, but they hadn't noticed it...yet. When they did, the two of them rushed up to it and sat down. Without even getting their lunch, they were already locked in deep conversation.

Dib remembered how Ray had sat with Zim at the beginning of lunch yesterday, but he had the sinking feeling that she wasn't going to sit with him at all today. He took a few steps closer, hoping Ray would notice him and maybe say something about what had happened in class.

Ray stopped talking to Zim, looked up, and noticed Dib. At first, she smiled, but then remembered how sad he had looked in class. "Dib!" she called, waving erratically, "Dib! Can you come over here for a second? Please?" Dib stood there, watching her try to make signals.

Inside, he was having a huge debate with himself. He had no idea what Ray was going to say to him, and hoped that Zim had nothing to do with it. Plus, he felt much too shy to actually get involved in a conversation with her. He decided to walk up to her, but he wouldn't stay.

Ray smiled as he approached her. "Hi, Dib," she began optimistically, "You looked kind of sad in class...What's up?" She motioned toward the seat next to hers, but Dib didn't sit down, remembering he was going to talk to her and then leave. That was all.

"Nothing much," he confessed, staring at the floor, "I...I just...never mind. It was nothing. I'm just...embarrassed. I feel stupid for saying that out loud in class. Seriously...I hope I didn't humiliate you or anything." He blushed slightly, wishing he wasn't so nervous.

"Oh, it's okay," Ray responded, smiling, "I wasn't humiliated at all. Besides, I still owe you for not being able to see that movie with you, right? I wouldn't consider us on fair terms just yet, but I guess I'll have to see that movie with you soon so we can be equal again."

Suddenly, a conclusion hit Dib square in the face. Rather abruptly, he knew why she couldn't do anything with him that afternoon...it was because of Zim. The two of them were going to work on the science project - it was so obvious. _Why didn't I realize that sooner? _Dib thought miserably.

He stood there, completely silent, which worried Ray. _Is he okay? _she thought, _Maybe he's still depressed about not getting to see that movie with me...I'd better make it up to him somehow. _She was about to say something, but then Dib just turned around and walked away.

"Dib!" Ray cried, "What are you doing?" She was about to get up and follow him, but Dib turned back slightly and gave her a gloomy look. That stopped Ray in her tracks almost instantly. She sat down sadly as Dib walked away to his usual table.

The table was empty, with the exception of Gaz, who was absorbed in a video game of some sort. She didn't even look up when Dib sat down across from her, too depressed and annoyed with himself to even eat. Gaz didn't notice him until he started talking to himself...or maybe nobody in particular.

"I'm such an idiot," Dib muttered, burying his face in his hands, "Ray probably hates me now. She's just going to spend all of her time with Zim, and I'll be somewhere else, miles behind them. Our friendship is doomed." Gaz paused her game, looked up, and glared at her brother.

"Who's Ray?" she asked darkly, almost hissing Ray's name as she spoke, "Is she your girlfriend or something?" Dib looked up and felt a little better now that his sister was actually talking to him. He sighed, deciding telling Gaz wouldn't hurt...much.

"Not really," he responded with a frown, "She's...a friend who's a girl. We were going to go see a movie today, but she's working on her science project...and she _just happens _to be partnered with Zim. I have the feeling she prefers Zim over me." Dib gave himself a mental punch for sounding stupid.

"She probably _does _prefer Zim over you," Gaz remarked unhelpfully, "but you might still have a chance with her. If you don't give up, maybe she'll still be your friend, but I doubt she'll ever be anything more than that." Dib's sister then returned to her game.

Dib took Gaz's advice into deep consideration. While thinking about how he could remind himself not to give up, he stared at Ray as she talked to Zim. She looked completely casual, but something in her eyes told Dib she was in a bit of pain about what he had done.

Dib sighed, unable to believe how much she had changed in less than a week. _Ray, what happened to you? _he thought sadly.


	6. Chapter 5: Tell Me About Yourself

Ray stood outside of the dark, depressing building known as Skool and enjoyed the sunshine around her. A few of the other students were running around crazily nearby, happy that the Skool day was over. Ray didn't join them, but she was just as happy as they were.

Ray had left earlier than she usually did so she could meet Zim and then walk back to her house. However, a part of her mind was still nervous about Dib. She knew there had to be some sort of way to make it up to him - other than seeing the movie with him later - but she couldn't think of a solution.

Zim and Dib were still in the classroom, packing everything up and getting ready to leave. However, right before Zim could leave, Dib grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around. Zim stared at him, eyes narrowed in rage. "What do you want, human?" he almost-shouted angrily.

"You stay away from Ray," Dib snarled, "or I'll...I'll..." With one punch, Zim knocked Dib to the ground, preventing him from finishing his sentence. Dib watched, hurt and somewhat ashamed of himself, as Zim walked away, about to meet Ray in front of the Skool.

As soon as Zim left the building, Ray rushed up to him, completely oblivious to him attacking Dib. "Good afternoon, Zim!" she greeted cheerfully, "Ready to go?" Zim nodded, and the two of them walked away, hand in hand. A few of the other students watched them go.

"Looks like Zim has a girlfriend," one of them muttered to another, "How cute." The other student laughed, and they watched as Ray and Zim walked off into the distance. Little did anyone know that those two students weren't the only ones watching.

Dib had just left Skool, and was staring at Ray and Zim with a horribly depressed expression. He was already developing a black eye from Zim punching him, and it looked pretty awful. Not wanting anyone to see it, he just stared at the ground and began to walk home sadly.

After walking for a little while, Zim noticed something - Ray seemed much more distant than usual. Even her usual smile was kind of faint. "Ray?" he asked quietly, "Is something wrong?" Ray looked up and smiled weakly, apparently glad that Zim cared.

"Yeah, I guess," she responded, "I just...I feel like I'm not spending enough time with Dib. He...he seems really depressed, and I can't think of a good way to cheer him up." She sighed and looked away, unable to think of any solutions to the problem she was currently stuck in.

Zim rather suddenly felt an emotion he thought he would never have to go through - _guilt. _He actually felt guilty for punching his worst enemy. Zim had the feeling that hanging out with Ray was just making him more emotional in a strange sort of way, and he had no idea why.

Suddenly, Ray came to a stop. "This is it," she told Zim, pointing to the house in front of them. It looked kind of dark and gloomy, as though whoever had built it was going through some sort of tragedy while working on it. Despite this, the place was somewhat calming to Zim.

The two of them walked up to the front door, and Ray merely pushed it open. In an instant, Zim was greeted by a small, pink fox, who was jumping around and yipping cheerfully. Zim laughed, not used to having a fox jump on his head. Ray smiled and lifted her off of her partner.

"Her name is Vir," she explained, putting Vir down, "and I've had her for ages now. She's very sweet, but can get entirely crazy sometimes." Zim only nodded - he had been through stuff like that with Gir. "C'mon," Ray continued, "I'll show you around the rest of the place."

Ray's whole house was pretty much empty. There were two guest bedrooms, alongside the ones Ray and Vir slept in. Most of the rooms had a strange, blank feeling to them that Zim couldn't place. He had never felt like this in his own home before...so why did he feel it now?

"I like your room," Zim commented, looking around, "It's nice." The bedspread was gray, and so was most of the room. The gray color scheme gave the room an odd, peaceful feel, but also made him wonder if it needed some color - maybe a picture of her or something.

Ray giggled, her positive attitude returning. "Thank you," she responded, smiling, "It's not all that great, though. I'm probably going to add some things later. Maybe I'll take some photos of my friends and put them on the dresser or something." Zim listened to her talk, and then smiled warmly.

"I bet that will make it look even better," he told her, wishing he wasn't too shy to hold her hand. The tiny voice in his head that had always warned him to stop being friends with Ray had suddenly returned, and was now screaming as loud as it possibly could.

"Ready to work on the project?" Ray asked, heading downstairs. Zim nodded and followed her. Little did either of them know that the other was thinking about something entirely different - for Zim, it was the voice in his head, and for Ray, it was Dib.

...

Despite the fact that both Ray and Zim were working hard on the project, they were also very distracted. They barely spoke to each other, only occasionally asking one another a question about the project. Neither of them knew why the other was being so quiet.

_Why is she being so quiet? _Zim thought, _Is it about Dib? Maybe she's still depressed about not being able to think of a way to cheer him up. I feel horrible about punching him now...but why? Why do I feel so bad about punching someone I've hated for as long as I can remember?_

_Zim seems unusually quiet, _Ray thought, _I hope he's not annoyed at me for putting Dib into our conversation yet again. Maybe I should start another conversation with him...after all, he seems so quiet right now. I wonder what's making him so sad...I wish I knew what was up._

A few hours passed, and neither of them had said anything. Finally, Ray decided to say something, but right when she was about to, Zim looked up and stared straight at her. Their eyes locked, and Ray totally forgot about what she was going to say for a moment.

Then Zim spoke up. "Um..." he began nervously, "Sorry for being so quiet. I'm just...deep in thought." Ray smiled, letting him know she forgave him. "This is getting kind of boring, though...do you want to stop working on it? After all, we're almost finished..."

Ray got up from the chair she was sitting at. "Good idea," she responded, "C'mon, let's go be lazy somewhere else." She laughed lightheartedly and sat down on the nearby couch, watching Vir's steady breathing as she sat on the carpeted floor, fast asleep.

Zim got up and sat down next to her. For a moment, the two of them just glanced around the room, not saying anything. Then, Ray decided to start a conversation. "You know..." she began, staring into Zim's gray eyes with a look of relaxation, "we haven't really told each other much about ourselves, have we?"

"Not really," Zim responded, "but there isn't all that much to say. I'm boring, honestly." Ray, instantly knowing he was lying, laughed cheerfully and held his hand again. Zim felt himself blush - an action he had never actually done before - and wondered why it felt so weird.

"Hey, tell me about yourself," Ray told Zim, smiling happily, "I'm the boring one here. The only thing special about me is how I don't eat all that much. When I do, it's usually almost nothing...maybe a single muffin, or a lone apricot...or something." Zim pondered this for a moment.

"I don't eat all that much either," he confessed with a smile, "It's pretty weird how we have so much in common, huh?" Ray nodded, laughing a bit. The rest of their conversation was quite long and drawn-out. It was as though they had known each other forever.

"You know..." Ray began, staring off into the distance, "I didn't think I would actually find a friend here. I thought I would just be an unpopular freak." The look she gave Zim then was kind of sad - she was probably still thinking about Dib. Zim wished he would just leave her mind, but didn't bother to voice his opinion on that just yet.

"You mean like me?" he asked, smile fading slightly, "I'm a pretty big freak in Skool, you know. Most of the students are even kind of..._afraid _of me." Ray couldn't tell whether Zim's expression was serious or nervous. Perhaps it was both...was that even possible?

"I'm not afraid," Ray admitted, squeezing his hand, "You're too nice to be scary." Zim blushed again - he had never thought of himself as nice. He had always been taught to be ruthless, emotionless...perhaps even evil. Ray was twisting everything he had ever known around in circles.

"I probably could be scary if I wanted to," Zim told Ray, looking kind of gloomy, "I always thought I was supposed to strike fear into everyone's hearts. It's...it's what I've been taught my whole life." Ray tilted her head slightly in confusion as she heard these words.

"Why would someone teach you things like that?" she asked quietly, "It sounds sort of...cruel. Do you...wait, I mean _did _you...have abusive parents?" Zim recoiled rather suddenly, letting go of Ray's hand. Ray bowed her head in shame and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, "I...I don't mean to pry into your personal life or anything. I just...I was curious." She was silent then, trying as hard as she possibly could not to cry. She wasn't going to cry - especially not in front of Zim. She wasn't going to embarrass herself now.

"It's okay," Zim answered, taking her hand in his, "You just caught me off-guard, that's all. To be precise, I don't remember my parents, but...well, I was part of an...an _organization, _if you will. The leaders of this organization taught me to be scary...fear-inducing."

Ray looked up, her dark eyes looking even larger than they usually did. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Zim," she murmured sympathetically, "That must've been horrible. I was originally going to be...part of something like that. I left, though...I barely escaped, and Vir almost died in the process."

"I met Gir in the organization I was a part of," Zim responded, "Everyone had...partners. I knew from the start that Gir was...different, though. He was supposed to be like the others, but...he wasn't. As a matter of fact, he was supposed to be much more advanced, but he didn't turn out like that."

"Vir was my partner as well," Ray confessed, glancing down at the pink fox, "but when we escaped, she was badly hurt. The worst part was that her recovery was in her hands...I couldn't help. Somehow, she made it, but...she's different now. She used to be...well, _normal._"

"Wow," Zim remarked, staring into Ray's eyes, "I can't believe we're so...similar. Maybe we're long-lost twins or something." Ray giggled happily, although both she and Zim knew that was impossible. Neither of them had any siblings, and they never would have any...right?

"Maybe we were meant to meet each other," Ray guessed, "Perhaps we're connected somehow. Maybe it's destiny, and we have to go on some sort of quest to retrieve a mysterious item before the random evil villain steals it and uses its power to conquer the world."

Zim laughed cheerfully. "That would certainly be an interesting plot twist, wouldn't it?" Ray nodded and burst out laughing. The two of them were both imagining wild, crazy fantasies that involved obtaining that strange item in a world that was so spectacular it could only exist in dreams.

Outside, the sky was gradually growing darker, but it didn't really matter to either of them until Zim began to hear the faint sound of rain tapping on the roof. Both Ray and Zim looked straight up, both of them half-expecting rain to fall right through the room and completely soak them.

The very thought of rain made Zim instinctively stare out of the nearest window. He couldn't believe how long he had stayed at Ray's, and realized he would have to leave in a little while...but he hadn't expected rain. He hadn't brought an umbrella.

"You'll probably need an umbrella, right?" Ray asked, somehow knowing what Zim was thinking about. Zim nodded, and Ray got up and lightly skipped over to the nearby closet. She opened the door, looked around a little, and then came out holding a black umbrella.

"You can borrow this one," Ray told Zim, smiling warmly, "Don't worry, I can just use the purple one." She held a purple umbrella in her other hand, putting it up against the wall and handing the black one to Zim. Ray didn't sit back down - she only stared out of the window blankly.

"Are...are you sure I can borrow this?" Zim asked, "When should I return it to you?" Ray shook her head a few times and sat back down, having been lost in a whole other world for a few moments. She pondered what to say for a bit, but then responded.

"Yeah, it's fine," Ray replied, her smile refusing to fade away, "The time you should return it depends on the day after tomorrow's forecast. If there's a chance of rain, just return it to me sometime later. If there's no chance, just return it to me tomorrow."

Slightly surprised about Ray's logic, Zim was unsure about to say at first, but then he spoke up. "Um, thanks," he responded, getting to his feet and beginning to put everything he had brought with him into some sort of group that would be easier to carry back home, "I...I guess I should be going."

"Okay," Ray stated, "Have a good evening." Zim nodded, opened Ray's umbrella, and stepped out into the rain. Ray watched him go, and then closed the door, staring up at the ceiling and wondering if they could possibly finish the project by the next day.

The rain was much heavier than previous rainfalls, which gave Zim some trouble. However, the black umbrella he held over his head prevented him from getting wet. _Thanks, Ray, _he thought to himself, _I hope I can make it up to you somehow. _He smiled slightly as he continued on his way home.

A tiny part of Zim's mind was currently deep in thought. That part of his mind was the one that always wondered why Ray was so different. _Maybe the proper question would be why we're so alike, _Zim thought, _I can't believe we have so much in common._

That part of his mind was going over everything Ray had said throughout the entire day, trying to make some sense out of it. However, none came. Nothing seemed to come together in the exact right manner - it was like solving a puzzle with half of the pieces missing.

Zim stopped walking and turned around, wondering if he could still see Ray's house through the rainfall. He couldn't see it, though - after all, he could barely see the sidewalk that stretched out in front of him. This downpour was one of the heaviest Zim had ever endured.

Aside from the continuous raindrops landing on the area around him, the immediate vicinity was quiet and calm. It had been a while since Zim had felt so relaxed - even when he was with Ray, a part of him was still on high alert. At that moment, Zim was almost entirely relaxed.

_I could fall asleep any second now, _Zim thought, _but that probably wouldn't be a good idea, especially in this kind of weather. _He picked up speed a bit, leaving all of his questions about Ray unanswered, and tried his hardest to hurry home - after all, he had the feeling he could smell muffins in the distance.


	7. Chapter 6: Arguments and Feelings

Zim stood in front of Ray's house, rang the doorbell, and waited anxiously for her to answer. Unlike yesterday, which had been cold and rainy all night, this morning was bright and sunny. Zim rocked back and forth on his heels, hoping she hadn't already left.

Ray answered the door with Vir standing behind her, continuously yipping and swishing her tail around. "Good morning, Zim!" she exclaimed cheerfully, "What brings you here? I was just about to leave for Skool." Zim smiled and handed Ray her umbrella.

"I came to return your umbrella," he explained, "and, um...maybe walk to Skool with you?" Zim felt too nervous for his own good - he had the feeling that Ray might refuse. He stared down at the ground, wishing he could calm himself, but finding it much too hard.

"Aww," Ray commented, putting the umbrella somewhere inside her house, "That's really sweet of you, Zim. Thank you. Oh, and I'd love to walk to Skool with you." Zim blushed, but before he could do anything else, Ray took his hand, and the two of them began their walk to Skool.

Ray and Zim didn't talk much, but they stared at each other quite a bit. Occasionally, one of them would look away to glance at a nearby tree, or bush, or rock, or maybe even a flower, but other than that, they didn't look away from each other at all.

Neither of them noticed it, but they had passed Dib's house only a few seconds before. Dib had just left, the black eye Zim had given him looking just as horrible as it did the day before. When he noticed Ray and Zim up ahead, he forgot about being shy and rushed right up to them.

"Hi, Ray," Dib began quietly, "What's...um, what's going on with you?" Hearing his voice, Ray immediately came to a stop and turned around. Because they were still holding hands, Zim had to turn around as well, but he accidentally let go of Ray's hand as he did so.

"Not much, actually," Ray answered, either not noticing Dib's black eye or just not mentioning it, "but...well...I'm really sorry for how I acted earlier. I...I'm sorry about not being able to see that movie with you." Zim watched them, feeling guilty yet again when he noticed Dib's injury.

"It's fine," Dib told Ray, smiling a bit, "Can I talk to you for a second?" Ray nodded, waving rather quickly at Zim as Dib led her off toward a nearby tree. The two of them stood under it, with Dib making sure Zim couldn't hear them before speaking up.

However, Ray started the conversation first. "Dib!" she almost-shouted, staring at him worriedly, "What happened to your eye?" Dib stepped back slightly, not expecting this type of response. As a matter of fact, he half-expected Ray to slap him, but that's beside the point.

"I got punched," Dib muttered, "It doesn't matter, Ray." Ray stared down at the ground sadly, as though she had done something bad. Dib couldn't shake the feeling that she really felt awful...for _caring about him._ Deciding to comfort her, he put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Dib confessed, sighing quietly, "It just...it doesn't matter much. This kind of thing happens to me all the time. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about, though. It's...it's about Zim." Ray looked up, realizing that she had pretty much expected this.

Ray stared at Dib's injury for a moment, and then figured it all out. "Zim punched you, didn't he?" she asked quietly, leaning up against the tree with a hint of nervousness. Dib nodded, staring at the ground. When he spoke up again, he sounded sad and distant.

"Ray..." Dib began softly, "I...I just don't think...I don't think Zim is very...well, I don't think he's very good for you. And, of course, you've probably guessed that I...I don't like him." Ray nodded just like Dib had done only a moment before, although the gloomy expression she gave him made it different.

"I have to work with Zim," she pointed out, "I thought that...being nice would put us on friendlier terms and...and make the project easier to finish." She felt horribly guilty then - it was as though she had broken something in her relationship with Dib. Something had shattered and come apart.

"Okay," Dib responded, letting go of Ray's shoulder, "I...I just thought you were being kind of...too friendly. You know I...well, I strongly dislike Zim. Maybe that's making my opinion on him kind of biased, but...um..." He found it impossible to figure out what to finish his sentence with.

Ray sighed exasperatedly, but still smiled. "I know you two hate each other," she admitted, "and I wish you two would get along." Dib paused, unsure about what to say to that. Then, he rather abruptly remembered what he was going to ask her in the first place.

"Ray?" Dib asked, "D-do you want to go see that movie with me tonight?" He almost felt too nervous to ask her, afraid that she would immediately refuse. However, that didn't seem like the "Ray" thing to do, so he just waited for her to respond with a reasonable solution.

"Sure," she answered, "Will you be walking with us to Skool today? I know I'm also walking with Zim, but maybe you can get along for a little while...?" Dib nodded reluctantly, and the two of them returned to the sidewalk, continuing their trip to Skool.

Ray was singing quietly to herself, occasionally skipping ahead of both of them but then waiting for them to catch up. She appeared to be oblivious to what Zim and Dib were doing, but she was actually casting a critical eye on the cold looks they kept giving each other.

...

The boredom class usually filled Dib with was multiplied by ten that day, because the only thing he could think about was Ray. He was looking forward to the movie that night, along with getting to hang out with Ray, but he was also nervous about her relationship with Zim.

The fact that that day's lessons were even more boring than usual just made Dib feel worse. Plus, he knew the students in the back of the room were whispering about him, laughing about the injury he had sustained. This was standard fare, and it had happened even before Ray had come into his life.

The only strange thing was that Zim wasn't laughing along with them. He kept switching from being bored (during class), being happy (waving at Ray from across the room), and looking guilty. Dib had no idea where the guiltiness was coming from, but decided not to think about it.

When lunch finally rolled around, Dib practically jumped out of his seat, eager to leave the room for a little while. However, his excitement faded when he realized that Ray and Zim would probably just sit with each other yet again. He sighed and began a slow walk to the cafeteria.

When he finally arrived, Ray and Zim were sitting at their usual table, with Ray waving at Dib in a somewhat-wild manner. Zim still had a guilty look, but Dib had the idea that it wasn't directed toward him. Little did he know that it actually was meant for him.

Dib approached them, but knew he wasn't going to sit down. "Hey, Dib," Ray began cheerfully, "Um, you don't have to sit with us if you don't want to, but I was just wondering what time we were going to meet up." Zim looked confused, but Ray didn't notice.

"How about six?" Dib asked, "Will that be okay with you?" Ray nodded, and was about to motion toward the seat next to her, but Dib was already walking away. She sighed dejectedly and watched him walk off, wishing she could get Zim and Dib to get along.

Zim was about to ask what all that was about, but didn't say anything. For a moment, both of them were silent. However, since neither of them had gotten food and really weren't all that hungry overall, there wasn't much to do. Starting up a conversation was inevitable.

A few minutes later, Ray and Zim were already lost in a whole other world. "I don't get it," Ray admitted, telling Zim about a book she had read recently, "I mean, the bad guys _won. _Reading stuff like that just makes me feel sort of empty inside...like I didn't really finish the book."

Zim couldn't honestly tell Ray that he had been through the same thing, but if his definition of "the bad guys" ended up winning, he had the feeling he would be pretty empty inside as well. "Maybe you could write an alternate ending," he suggested, smiling a bit.

"Interesting idea," Ray commented, "but I don't really think I have the skills for that. Mostly, I just write fanfiction, if I ever feel like writing." Zim was about to ask her what fanfiction even was, but decided against it, thinking he would sound like an idiot in front of her.

"Cool," Zim remarked, although he still didn't know what fanfiction was, "You're really interesting. My life seems incredibly boring compared to yours." Ray laughed and shook her head. "So what do you write about?" Zim asked, smiling cheerfully.

"Most of the time, I write about my favorite cartoon," Ray explained, "but I write about other stuff as well. Video games are another favorite subject of mine." Their conversation continued, including things like vacations, endangered animals, and the next ice age.

"Hey, Ray," Zim began, starting to feel a little nervous, "are you...are you coming to my house tonight? Since we barely have anything left to do, maybe we can just finish it off in less than an hour." Ray paused for a moment to think about what he had just said.

The conversation had lasted to the point where she had completely forgotten about her plans with Dib. Under normal circumstances, she would have sadly refused and told Zim she would come the next day, but she had forgotten about everything except for him at that moment.

"Sure, of course I'll come," Ray responded, smiling optimistically, "I've been waiting to get this project finished, after all." The two of them spent the next few minutes going over their previous observations about the project, neither of them knowing that Dib was watching them.

A few students occasionally passed the table he was sitting at, laughing about his black eye, but he ignored them - he was too happy about getting to see a movie with Ray that night. He sighed dreamily and almost entirely forgot about the other students' existence.

"Is this about your girlfriend?" Gaz asked, looking up from her Game Slave for just a brief moment, "Doesn't she seem to hang out with that stupid green kid more often that she does with you?" Dib stared at her, finding it impossible to say anything mean to his younger sister.

"Yeah, it's about Ray," he finally muttered, smile fading slightly, "but we're going to see a movie tonight. She's only hanging out with Zim because they were partnered for a science project...not because she prefers Zim over me." Gaz ignored him and went back to playing her game.

...

As soon as class ended, Dib dashed out of the room, excited about seeing the movie with Ray. However, Ray stayed behind, packing everything up and getting ready to leave. She still hadn't remembered her plans with Dib, and was now quite excited about going to Zim's.

"Hey, Zim?" she asked, looking up for a brief moment, "Do you mind if I stop at my house before coming over? I...I need to grab something." This wasn't entirely true - she was just going to put some of the things she brought to Skool with her back at her house.

"That's fine," Zim answered, smiling, "but do you remember where I live?" Ray nodded happily and swung her black backpack over her shoulder. "Okay, then," Zim told her, "I'll be waiting for you." Ray laughed cheerfully and left the classroom, skipping down the hallway with a look of general excitement.

"That's strange," one of the other students muttered, "Ray isn't walking with her boyfriend today." Ray came to a halt and whirled around to face the student who had spoken. She was smiling, but a faint trace of anger shone clearly in her dark eyes.

"Excuse me," she began, "but Zim and I aren't boyfriend and girlfriend. Zim is just a friend who's a boy." The student watched, trying to prevent his jaw from dropping open as Ray skipped away, humming to herself as if nothing had happened. She seemed to be completely oblivious to what he had said.

Dib had actually been watching her, standing under a nearby tree and listening in on the conversation. He couldn't help but smile as he heard what Ray said about Zim. Not only was he happy about seeing the movie later that day, he was also joyous about what she had said.

_So she and Zim aren't...more than friends, _Dib thought happily, _Maybe I still have a chance. _He watched as Ray skipped off, looking forward to seeing the movie. Unfortunately for Dib, however, Ray didn't have movies on her mind at all - she was only excited about Zim.

Ray arrived at her house a few minutes later. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, flicking a lightswitch with one finger to turn it on and watching as Vir jumped up from her position on the couch. The pink fox dashed up to her, yipping cheerfully.

"Hi, Vir," Ray told her friend, laughing, "Listen...I need to talk to you about something, okay?" Vir nodded, and the two of them sat down on the couch, staring at each other for a few short moments. When Ray spoke up again, her voice sounded quiet and somewhat-faded.

"Listen, Vir..." she murmured, "You know how I've been hanging out with Zim a lot...right?" Vir nodded yet again, yipping softly. Ray smiled weakly and scratched Vir behind her ears. Vir made a slight purring sound and nuzzled up to her owner gently.

"Okay, that's good. However," Ray continued, "My friend Dib...well, he hates Zim. He seems to think of them as worst enemies. I just want them to get along, but...they don't seem to be doing that very well." Vir gave Ray a sympathetic look as she spoke.

"That brings me to my biggest problem," she muttered, "Zim and I have been hanging out a lot in order to finish the project. As a matter of fact, I'm going to his house in a few minutes to finally complete it. However, Dib seems to think otherwise about what we're up to."

"Overall, Zim and Dib seem to really hate each other," Ray finished, "and...well, I just don't know what to do. Zim has been so nice to me, and I've tried my hardest to be a good partner, but...Dib seems to think I...that I...oh, I can't do this." She sighed and stared at the ground sadly.

Vir yipped quietly and gave her a look, as if to say, "It's okay, it'll be fine." Ray wasn't hearing any of it. She buried her face in her hands for a few moments and then stared right into Vir's eyes. The look she gave her pet fox was filled with pain and nervousness.

"No, Vir," she whispered, "It's not going to be okay. I...I think I have...well, I think I have feelings for Zim."


	8. Chapter 7: Feels Like Friendship

Zim had been staring at the ceiling in the few minutes before Ray arrived at his house. Gir was sitting on the couch, tail wagging erratically. The way Gir was staring to always know when Ray was coming was slightly strange to Zim, but he ignored it.

Both he and Gir were completely oblivious to the fact that, at that very moment, Ray was talking to Vir, pondering her feelings for Zim. As a matter of fact, she was blinking back tears as she spoke of how Dib thought she and Zim could possibly be more than friends.

The sky was beginning to turn cloudy as Ray walked to Zim's house. Nervousness pulsed through her as she looked around, wondering if she truly did think of Zim as more than a friend. After all, she had only been at Skool for a few days...why was she feeling like this now?

_Maybe it's because we're so much alike, _Ray thought, _but that doesn't sound all that probable. Perhaps it's because...he has something to do with me. Maybe he's a big factor in my plan, and...maybe I just don't know it yet. _She sighed, wondering if any of her ideas had truth in them at all.

However, she had to stop then, because she had just arrived at Zim's house. She knocked on the door and stared down at her feet, feeling extremely shy and worried about seeing the one guy she was possibly developing a crush on. She didn't even look up when Zim answered the door.

"Hi, Ray," he began coolly, "What's wrong?" Ray looked up, trying not to look sad, but failing miserably. She wished Zim didn't have to see her looking so sad...it was unnatural for her to look so dejected. She sighed and managed a weak smile before speaking.

"It...it's nothing," Ray responded quietly, "Do you want to finish the project now?" Zim nodded and invited her inside. His house still looked the same, and it had a nice, nostalgic feeling to Ray. It was a little strange, considering how she had just been there two days ago, but she ignored that fact.

"Gir was waiting for you, you know," Zim told her, gesturing toward Gir, who had just stood up once he heard his name being mentioned. The green dog darted up to Ray and ran around her in crazy circles, which made Ray laugh a little and cheered her up slightly.

"Hey, Zim?" she asked, her expression turning serious again, "I...I know this sounds weird, but...would you consider us to be...friends?" Zim paused to think about this for a moment. He had never considered anyone to be his friend before, and this was certainly...different.

"I guess so," he answered, "We're friends, right?" Ray nodded and giggled quietly. For some odd reason, after Zim had said this, she calmed down and stopped acting so nervous. Perhaps the thought of her and Zim being friends just made her smile.

"What's making you so happy?" Zim asked casually as he and Ray unpacked everything they knew they would need for the project. Ray laughed cheerfully, noticing that Gir was now chasing his tail. She looked up at her friend and partner and only shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know," she admitted, "I was just...nervous about something earlier, but I guess the thought of us being friends just...cheered me up. Now, then...what else do we have to work on at the moment?" She leafed through several of the papers that were important to the project's completion.

While Ray and Zim worked on the project, Zim began to let his mind wander. _I wonder why she asked me that question, _he thought, _I don't think I've ever...well, I haven't ever considered anyone even close to being my...friend. This is so new to me..._

Most of Ray's mind was devoted to the project, but a small part of it was still thinking about Zim. _Yesterday, he told me he always thought he was supposed to strike fear into everyone's hearts, _she thought with a pang of anxiousness, _and yet he's...he's so sweet and friendly._

"I'm still finding it very odd how similar we are," Zim told Ray, breaking the silence, "Maybe us being partners for this project really _was _destiny." He recalled how scared he had been when he first realized that he and Ray were partners, and realized he had been completely wrong about Ray.

_As far as I know, I haven't done anything stupid in front of her, _Zim thought, _Our meeting probably wasn't destiny, but it had to be close. _He looked up at Ray and felt a strange pulse of...something...that he couldn't place. He paused, wondering what that strange feeling had been.

"Ha, sure," Ray answered, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her dark hair with one finger, "if that's what you'd call it. I know I said it was destiny earlier, but maybe it was just...oh, I don't know. I guess it really is destiny." She smiled, and it was like, ironically, a ray of sunshine.

Zim found himself suddenly entranced by her smile. He was lost in his own world for a second, but then quickly snapped back into reality. "Destiny it is," he concluded, getting back to working on the project. He was amazed at how fast the hours were going by.

After a while, the project was almost complete, and Ray decided to speak up. "Talking to you is just...well, it's just so natural to me. I find it pretty cool, as a matter of fact. That whole 'this-is-destiny' thing is really working out for us." Zim laughed as a response.

"So does talking to Dib come just as naturally?" he asked curiously, finding it slightly difficult to refer to his apparent worst enemy in a normal conversation. He sat there patiently, waiting for Ray's response, but it never came. Instead, she was completely rigid.

_Dib. Oh, my gosh. I completely forgot about Dib. _Shock and horror filled her as she realized her plans with Dib had almost been completely forgotten. Her head was filled with instant mental slaps, smacks, and kicks...all aimed at herself. _I can't believe I was so stupid!_

"Ray?" Zim asked nervously, "Are you alright?" He watched as Ray's eyes darted down to the little clock in the corner of her laptop's screen. The clock told them it was six-fifteen. Zim had absolutely no idea why Ray was acting so nervous, but then it became apparent.

"Oh..." Ray murmured anxiously, "Oh, no...I...I was going to see a...a movie with Dib at six. I...I've let him down, Zim." She buried her face in her hands and tried her hardest not to cry. Zim flinched, having never tried to comfort someone before, especially not when it was about someone he hated.

When Zim began to hear quiet sniffing sounds, he immediately grabbed Ray's wrist and just stared at her. Ray looked up and found herself looking right into Zim's gray eyes. "Don't worry, Ray," he told her gently, "It's okay. Trust me...it's going to be okay."

Ray wrenched her wrist free from Zim's grasp and held his hand instead. "Thank you for the comforting words," she muttered, "but things aren't going to be okay. If I don't...if I don't...oh, who am I kidding? I probably broke Dib's fragile little heart..."

"You could...you could lie to him," Zim suggested, "You could tell him you were feeling sick and couldn't go. Wouldn't that work?" He had lied to others several times, and it always seemed to work for him. Ray paused for a moment before responding.

"I...I guess that would be the best decision," she concluded, her usual logic apparently on a vacation, "I'll go to the pay phone and call him...I guess." Dib had given her his number a few days ago, although she hadn't thought she would need to use it for this type of reason.

Zim followed Ray down the street, still holding her hand. She was holding back tears as she thought of the consequences of lying to her friend. She knew that, eventually, she would have to tell Dib the truth, but she didn't want him to be mad at her.

Ray stood in front of the pay phone and got out a quarter she had brought along with her in case the need to use a pay phone arose. Her fingers seemed to be lightning-fast as she dialed Dib's number, picked up the phone, and waited for someone to pick up.

"Um...hello?" the voice from the other end asked, "Who is this?" Ray felt a surge of pain - it was Dib. He hadn't left to go to the movie yet, which just made Ray feel worse about the whole thing. She couldn't just abandon Zim and see the movie because she had told Zim they would finish the project that night.

"This is Ray," she muttered sadly, "I...well, I just wanted to say that...I don't feel all that great right now. I think I might be getting sick, so...I guess I can't see the movie with you tonight." She froze, holding her breath nervously and waiting for Dib's response.

"Oh, my gosh," Dib told Ray, "I'm...I'm so sorry, Ray. Do I have a chance of seeing you at Skool on Monday...?" Ray paused, realizing that she would have to say yes to his question. She shot Zim a pained look as she spoke, which made him feel guilty for some odd reason.

"...Yeah," Ray answered, her voice sounding pitiful and sad, "I'll probably feel better by tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll be at Skool, and we can still hang out and everything. I guess I have to go now, so...um...I'll see you on Monday." She stared down at her feet silently as she prepared to hang up.

"Okay, then," Dib murmured, sounding kind of depressed, "See you." There was a clicking sound from the other end - he had hung up. Ray hung up as well, wishing she could just tell Dib the truth. However, she had the aching feeling that telling him the truth would end her friendship with him.

Ray and Zim walked back to Zim's house in complete silence. Ray was still holding back tears - she had several reasons not to cry, but number one was that she was in Zim's company, and she didn't want to look like an absolute idiot in front of her friend.

When they arrived and reentered Zim's house, Gir immediately sensed their sadness and gave Zim and confused look. Zim frowned in response, wishing he could think of something to say to the little dog, but thinking of nothing that could be remotely considered helpful.

...

"And...we're DONE!" Ray cried happily, putting her pencil down, "We're finally finished!" The lie she had told earlier had been forgotten, and her optimistic attitude had finally returned. She laughed happily and turned her laptop off because she knew she wouldn't need it for the rest of her stay.

"Whoo hoo!" Zim almost-shouted victoriously, high-fiving his friend, "We did it!" The two of them got up and did a little victory dance, although both of them lived life with the thought that they were terrible at dancing at that they looked like idiots. Neither of them cared at that moment.

Gir watched them, running around in cheerful circles on the floor. For a moment, this was all they did, forgetting about everything else. Ray had totally forgotten about her lie to Dib and her feelings for Zim. However, it all had to end eventually, and they collapsed to the ground due to fatigue.

"That...was...awesome," Ray told Zim breathlessly, "Plus, we're done with the project!" Zim laughed as a response, and for a moment, the two of them just sat there, laughing and enjoying themselves, just like friends do. All was right with the world for Ray and Zim.

However, it had to come to an end eventually, and it did after a few minutes of wild laughter. "It's...it's getting late, isn't it?" Ray asked, staring up at the ceiling, "Maybe I should be heading home soon." Zim stared up at the ceiling along with her, realizing that she was probably right.

"I guess so," he responded, finding the ceiling to be extremely interesting. Somewhere inside his head, he knew he didn't want Ray to leave, but he also knew it was for the best. After all, he had to go to sleep as well, despite the fact that the next day was Saturday - no Skool.

Ray unsteadily got to her feet and began packing up everything she had brought with her. Zim also stood up and helped her, and Gir jumped up onto the table and watched them, occasionally pushing something across the table to help them pack up.

When everything had been packed up, Ray put it into her black backpack and slipped one of the straps over her shoulder. She coughed a few times before resuming her previous conversation with Zim. "Um...thanks for inviting me," she told him, smiling happily.

"Y-you're welcome," Zim stuttered, sounding a little nervous due to not expecting this type of response from Ray, "It's what friends do...right?" He laughed quietly. "Sorry, I'm not used to this 'friend' thing yet. It's all...well, it's all very confusing."

"It's okay, I understand," Ray replied, grabbing Zim's hand and squeezing it reassuringly, "When I first came here, I wasn't sure about what to do at _all._ I was a total outcast." Zim smiled, realizing that she wasn't the only one who was considered an outcast.

"So we're both considered strange?" he asked, squeezing Ray's hand right back, "We have...so much in common. I guess destiny's being weird again, huh?" Ray giggled sweetly and hugged Zim quickly. Zim felt that odd sensation from earlier coming back to him.

"Have a good weekend," Ray told him, "Thank you so much for being my friend. Oh, by the way...can you come over after Skool on Monday? I know the project is finished, but hey...we're friends, right? That's...normal, right?" Zim laughed as she said the word "normal."

"We're anything _but _normal, Ray," he responded happily, "and I'd love to come. Just after Skool, right?" Zim had the feeling that that weekend would probably be quite boring, but ignored that fact due to his excitement about coming back to Ray's on Monday.

"Yup, that's right," Ray answered, "I guess I'll see you then. I take back my previous statement...have an _awesome _weekend, Zim." She laughed lightheartedly before leaving Zim's house and closing the door behind her. Zim watched her go, the smile on his face refusing to fade.

Zim felt like he was walking on clouds. _I...I have a friend, _he thought, _I have a friend. For the first time in my life, I have a friend. _The tiny voice in his head was scolding him about even thinking of Ray as a friend, but Zim didn't listen to that voice at all.

The room felt strangely silent. Zim looked over at the couch and realized that Gir had fallen asleep and was curled up into a little ball. Zim smiled and sat down next to him, watching the green dog's chest steadily rise and fall with his breathing. The room was peaceful in an odd way.

After a while, Ray became the only thing on Zim's mind. Something about her made him feel guilty about hurting Dib, somewhat nicer to Gir, and even friendlier toward, of all things...no, that just can't be possible. He was about to think of being friendlier to humans in general, but that would never happen.

_After all, _Zim thought, _Humans are...well, humans are...who am I kidding? Ray is the best thing that's ever happened to me. _He sighed in a somewhat-dreamy manner and began absentmindedly stroking Gir's head. The small dog's tail began wagging as he did so.

Gir's eyes opened, and he looked up, inching slightly closer to his master and nuzzling up against him lovingly. Zim couldn't help but smile, realizing that he and Gir had never been on such friendly terms before. _Thanks, Ray, _Zim thought happily, _Thank you so much._


	9. Chapter 8: Just Having Fun

After she called him and told him she was sick and couldn't go to see a movie with him, Dib was beginning to have his doubts about Ray. As soon as he had ended the call, he realized she hadn't finished the project, and had the nagging feeling she was just spending time with Zim.

The rest of the night was spent wondering whether Ray really cared about him, which just made the ten-year-old feel worse. In the end, right before he went to bed, he decided ignoring her would be the best idea. _We were never meant to be friends, I guess, _he thought sadly.

The next morning was gray and gloomy, with a stronger breeze than usual. Dib wondered if the weather knew what his emotions were like and personally decided to make it all worse. The only plus was that his black eye from Zim punching him was beginning to heal.

Dib left his house that morning without eating, even though he knew doing that was just asking to starve to death later. He silently exited through the front door and began a quick walk to Skool. Avoiding Ray was his number-one goal at that very moment.

Meanwhile, Ray had just left her house. Two umbrellas were tucked under her arm, and her expression was dark and serious, maybe somewhat angry. She was only angry at herself, however - she felt like she was just making the rivalry between her two friends even worse.

Both she and Dib walked to Skool in complete silence, with neither of them even knowing the other was there. Dib was almost running now, trying his hardest to get away from Ray and Zim. Ray was walking at a normal speed, wishing she wasn't too shy to tell Dib the truth about the night before.

As she walked past an all-too-familiar house, someone started tapping on Ray's shoulder. Ray froze and whirled around, not expecting to see Zim there. He looked kind of sad as well...maybe the bad weather was just making everyone feel worse.

"Good morning, Ray," Zim began, a little nervous due to Ray's somewhat-annoyed expression, "Um...do you want to walk to Skool with me?" Ray tried to soften her expression and look reasonably positive, but her anger toward herself was making it difficult.

"Sure," she responded, voice sounding a little lower and darker than usual, "Sorry if I sound angry...I'm only angry at myself for what happened yesterday." Zim stared at his friend for a moment, his gray eyes locked on her dark brown ones. Finally, he thought of something to say.

"It's okay," he told her, taking her hand in his and beginning a calm walk to Skool, "I...I guess you could say I understand." Zim actually had no idea what Ray was feeling, but it seemed that Ray knew that, because she smiled warmly and squeezed Zim's hand.

"You don't need to pretend you understand, Zim," Ray muttered, still smiling, "It's okay. It's really nice of you to try to comfort me, though." Zim felt himself blushing again, wondering if he was going to end up doing that a lot. Plus, he still had no idea what it meant.

For a while, the two of them walked to Skool in silence. Ray's hair blew in the wind, partially obscuring her face. She was continuously pushing it out of her eyes, but it didn't seem to be doing her any good. Zim watched her, wondering just how strong the breeze could possibly get.

Dib, on the other hand, had to put up with his trench coat billowing out from behind him as he raced down the sidewalk. However, eventually, he began to get tired and slowed down to a fast walk. However, this caused the two students he really didn't want to see to notice him.

"Hey, is that Dib over there?" Zim asked, pointing toward the student who was walking ahead of them. Ray, immediately noticing the student's scythe-like hair, realized that it was, in fact, Dib. As soon as Ray realized it was her friend, she began waving crazily with her free hand.

"Dib!" she called, "Hey, Dib!" Dib stood completely still - that was Ray's voice. Instinct took over, and he turned around to see if it was her. She and Zim were standing, hand in hand, quite a bit behind him. Ray was waving excitedly, obviously happy to see him.

For a brief moment, Dib ignored Ray's rapid signals and stared at Zim. He expected Zim to be glowering at him angrily, but instead, his expression was sort of blank, and maybe even...guilty. _I thought it was impossible for Zim to even feel guilt, _Dib thought.

_Is this because of him punching me? _the ten-year-old thought, remembering that it was beginning to heal now, _Why would Zim possibly feel guilty about injuring me? Is this about...Ray? _Rather abruptly, Dib remembered how he was supposed to be ignoring both of them. Within an instant, he was dashing down the sidewalk.

"...D-dib?" Ray stuttered nervously, "What...what's going on?" Her expression became anxious as the hand she had been using to wave dropped to her side. Zim watched as she hung her head in what appeared to be shame. He couldn't believe what Dib had just done.

A surge of anger filled Zim as he watched Dib run away. "You jerk!" he screamed, "You leave Ray alone!" Ray looked up slightly, unable to fathom what Zim was saying. She remembered how Dib had once said he would protect her from Zim, realizing that it was the other way around.

"You don't have to do that," Ray muttered, watching Dib race away, "I'll...I'll talk to him later." Zim shrugged, and their walk continued. Ray still felt sad about how Dib had just sprinted away, and something in the back of her mind was trying to tell her why.

Suddenly, she halted. Ray had rather suddenly figured out why Dib hadn't stopped to talk to her. _He figured it out, _she thought, eyes widening in shock, _He knows about my lie. I don't believe this. _Tears came to her eyes, but she held them back - she wasn't going to cry.

"Ray?" Zim asked quietly, "Are...are you alright?" Ray looked up at him and rather suddenly wrapped her arms around him. Zim recoiled slightly, not expecting Ray to hug him. When she let go, she immediately stepped a few feet back and stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry," she murmured sadly, "I...I just...oh, I don't...I don't know what to say." Zim, on the other hand, was blushing hard. He had never been hugged by anyone other than Gir, and that didn't count. Realizing just how awkward the situation was, Zim took her hand again and they continued their walk.

"It's fine," he responded, "Don't worry about it." He wished he would stop blushing, but it seemed impossible. Ray giggled softly, and they continued their walk to Skool as though nothing had happened. Luckily, nobody had witnessed the event that had just taken place.

When they arrived at Skool, however, Ray's sad thoughts about Dib resumed. He was completely avoiding her - he wasn't talking to her, and he wasn't even looking at her. _He knows I lied to him, _she thought miserably, _We're never going to be friends again._

Zim, on the other hand, was only thinking about Ray. _What just happened? _he asked himself, _A...a human just hugged me, and I didn't scream or object. Is it just me? Am I just going crazy? Maybe Ray's just...different. _He sighed in a somewhat-dreamy manner and stared at her from across the room.

"Zim?" Miss Bitters asked darkly, "Is there something you want to tell us?" Within seconds, everyone in the room aside from Dib and Ray was staring right at Zim. He shook his head quickly and began absentmindedly twirling a pencil as the lessons continued.

When lunch finally rolled around, Ray tried to get Dib's attention, but he raced out the door and into the cafeteria. Ray watched, gradually feeling worse about lying to him. Zim walked up to her and stood next to her desk, smiling slightly in an effort to cheer her up.

"Are you ready to head to the lunchroom?" Zim asked Ray, holding her hand again. Ray nodded, and the two of them left the classroom with practically everyone else watching them. Many of the students gave the two of them disturbed or shocked looks.

"I don't believe it," one of the students muttered, "I think Zim finally has a girlfriend." Ray came to a stop, turned around, and snarled at the student who had spoken before continuing to walk to the cafeteria with Zim. The student's jaw dropped open as they walked away.

"Nice one," Zim commented, high-fiving Ray. She giggled happily and tried to find Dib amongst the students that surrounded the doors to the lunchroom. However, he had already entered the cafeteria, so her exploration ended in a failure. Sighing quietly, she and Zim entered.

The area was already packed, but Dib was nowhere in sight. Ray looked around rapidly, but couldn't find him anywhere. "Dib?" she called through the mass of students, "Dib? Where are you?" Noticing that she was still holding Zim's hand, she turned to face him and couldn't help but blush.

After a few minutes of searching, the two of them gave up and sat down. Had they looked just a little longer, they would've noticed that Dib was sitting behind the trash can, wishing he had the courage to talk to Ray, but finding it much too difficult to even think about.

...

"Hi, Zim!" Ray cried cheerfully as Zim approached her after Skool, "Are you ready to go?" Dib was only a thought in the back of her head now - she was still horribly depressed about not seeing him during lunch, but she decided to look at the bright side and think positively.

"Yeah, I guess so," Zim responded happily, "Oh, and I've been meaning to ask you something...do you mind if I bring Gir along? I think he really likes you." Ray giggled when she heard Zim's last statement, a clear picture of the green dog forming in her head.

"Of course he can come!" Ray answered, "Do you mind if I just go home and wait for you to arrive, though? I...I have something I have to take care of." Zim paused for a moment, not sure about what to say, but then he spoke up. His voice sounded slightly quieter than before.

"That's fine," he told Ray, "See you soon." He then walked away, although there was a bit of a spring in his step. Ray guessed he was just happy about going to her house that afternoon. She also left Skool, skipping down the sidewalk in a cheerful manner.

She arrived at her house, entered, and was immediately greeted by Vir. Vir had been lying on the couch, but as soon as she noticed Ray, she sprang up and almost tackled her. "Hey, Vir," she began, sitting down on the couch, "Hey, I need to tell you something."

Vir got off of her owner and jumped back up onto the couch. "Zim's coming over tonight, and he's bringing his dog along," Ray told Vir, "and I want you to be super-nice to him, okay? I mean, you're already nice, but can you be extra-nice to him for me?"

Vir nodded and snuggled up to Ray. The two of them sat there for a little while, waiting for Zim and Gir to arrive. Ray didn't want to start another conversation, but only because words from the last one she had had with her beloved pet fox still hung in her head.

_It's probably true, _she thought, staring up at the ceiling, _I probably do have feelings for Zim. It's almost a little hard to swallow, but then again...who am I kidding? I hugged him this morning, and...wow. I don't think I've ever had to go through so much conflict before._

_This is all so strange. I didn't think relationships would bring so much...pain and confusion. It's interesting, in a way...I've fallen in love with a classmate. That really strays from my original duties here. I have no idea how it happened, and now...well, I've fallen for Zim._

Before Ray could think about her feelings for her classmate anymore, there was a knock at the door. Ray instantly got up and answered it, staring into the faces of Zim and Gir. "Hi, guys," she told them casually, "It's nice to see you. Come on in and make yourselves comfortable."

She smiled, stepping out of the way as Zim and Gir entered her house. Vir looked up and found herself looking directly into Gir's eyes. Zim and Ray stood there and watched as their pets stared at each other. "Gir, this is Vir." Zim explained, pointing to the small pink fox.

Vir yipped joyfully and did a flying leap off of the couch, landing right in front of Gir. Gir barked happily, and within seconds, the two of them were chasing each other around in dizzy circles as though each had known the other forever. Zim and Ray watched, smiling.

"So..." Zim began, looking straight into Ray's eyes, "do you have anything planned for us today?" He felt slightly nervous, remembering the little event that had taken place that morning. Ray's calm stare reminded him of how she had embraced him that morning.

"Are you a fan of...video games?" she asked slyly, interrupting Zim's train of thought. She walked up to her television and turned a game system on. Zim hadn't seen the system when he was at Ray's house last, although he had the idea it was probably because he was distracted.

"Um, sure, I guess." Zim answered, sitting down next to her. Ray handed Zim a controller and started the game up. "So how do you play?" Zim asked, staring at the screen and wondering what sort of video game it was. In actuality, he had never played one before.

"Don't worry about the controls," Ray told him, smiling, "I'll play the tutorial for you. Just pay attention, okay?" Zim nodded happily and watched as the tutorial started playing. The game was quite simple to understand, and Zim was very happy about that.

After five minutes of watching the tutorial, Zim was pretty much ready to start. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you...for now," Ray murmured, voice sounding soft and deadly. The two of them immediately started playing, completely oblivious to the world around them.

The first round ended with Zim as the victor. "Victory!" Zim cried, grinning excitedly, "Take that, Ray!" Ray laughed and high-fived Zim as her character was shot off of the stage. Gir and Vir watched, tails twitching erratically and occasionally thumping against the floor.

"Are you ready for another round?" Ray asked, smirking mischievously, "I'm not going to go easy on you anymore, you know." Zim nodded, and the second round started. True, Ray was quite the formidable opponent, but Zim beat her yet again.

"This is just silly," Ray remarked, "I'm not going to lose!" Zim burst out laughing as he won yet again. Ray growled and pretended to slap him. Zim squealed in fake pain, and the two of them began a silly fake fight while Gir and Vir rushed around nearby.

After a while, they returned to their video game, but while Ray was in complete gaming mode, Zim's mind was somewhere else. He was deep in thought about all sorts of things, but the main subject was Ray. There was something about her that was making him feel nervous.

_Maybe it's something else, _Zim told himself, _Maybe I'm just...oh, no. That can't be true...I can't be...that's not...that's not possible. _His mind began to race to a conclusion, but he could only find one. He didn't want to believe what the conclusion was, but he was completely helpless now.

_It's not possible. An Irken invader can't love a human..._


	10. Chapter 9: Dib the Moviegoer

The lunchroom seemed surprisingly empty when Ray entered it. Most of the students were being much quieter than usual...which was odd. Ray glanced around the immediate area, trying to figure out why everyone was acting strange. However, she didn't find a single solution at first.

Zim wasn't too far behind, but he usually walked much closer to her. He had been acting strange all day, and Ray had no idea why. He was being so quiet, and when he spoke, he always sounded nervous. Ray wondered if something had happened to him after last night's round of video games.

She paused and turned around, but couldn't find Zim's odd green skin anywhere nearby. She guessed that he was nervous about talking to her, although she had no idea why he would be. Something in the back of her head was tormenting her, telling her it knew the answer.

_Maybe it's because...he likes me, _Ray thought, _but that doesn't sound likely. I mean...it just...it doesn't seem like the "Zim" thing to do. Of course, he could actually like me, but then again...ugh. This is so confusing! _Ray sighed, wishing she could understand what was going on inside her head.

Suddenly, Ray looked up and abruptly figured out why everyone was being so quiet. A group of students who were all much taller than everyone else were all gathered in one corner of the room. Ray absentmindedly started twirling a strand of hair around in her fingers and wondered what they were doing.

She took a few steps closer, but was unable to see what was going on. The student closer to her had his hands balled up into fists. Ray had the feeling that the students were about to get into some sort of fight, and she knew for certain that she didn't want to be involved.

However, as she backed away quietly, she heard an all-too-familiar voice from within the group. "P-please don't hurt me," the voice stuttered softly, "I...I didn't do anything to you..." Ray froze - that was Dib's voice! From the sound of it, Ray hypothesized that the group of students was going to beat him up.

"You exist, and that's enough to tick me off," one of the students snarled, "You are _definitely _going to get it now, kid." Ray stood completely still, shocked about what was going on. She had the feeling Dib didn't have many friends, but was he often beaten up by other students?

"Please..." Dib almost-whispered from within the circle of students, "Please d-don't hurt me..." The students - closer to teenagers than kids - began to close in on the ten-year-old as he spoke. Nervousness filled Ray as she heard Dib whimpering almost-inaudibly.

"You're finished," another student muttered, "After all, there's nobody around to help you out - no one likes you!" At this, Ray felt anger boiling inside her. She didn't want them to hurt her friend...that is, if he even thought of Ray as his friend anymore. She stepped closer, trying to make her feet as loud as possible.

"Hey!" she shouted furiously, "You leave him alone!" Several of the students turned around, but when they noticed the girl standing in front of them, a few of them just burst into laughter. One of the only ones who didn't, probably one of the leaders, crossed his arms as he stared down at Ray.

"What are you going to do about it, freak?" he asked darkly, "Are you Dib's little girlfriend or something?" He took a few steps closer, smirking demonically. "I guess we'll just have to take care of you, too." Ray's fists clenched, and rather suddenly, she knew what she had to do.

"I said _leave him alone!_" Ray screamed, rushing up and kicking the boy in the one place it would hurt him most. He yowled in pain and dropped to the ground. Several of the students in the group scattered then, sitting down at random lunch tables and trying to blend in.

"You want a piece of this?" Ray asked the remaining students, stepping closer and trying to look as dangerous as possible. The other students took off running then, desperately attempting to disappear into the crowd. The so-called "leader" took off as well, and Ray and Dib were the only ones left.

Dib had backed up right into the wall, and was now looking at his rescuer with a bit of fear in his brown eyes. "...Ray?" he began quietly, "Wh-what are...what are you doing here? Why aren't you...hanging out with Zim?" Ray walked up to him and took his hand in hers.

"Look, Dib...I'm really sorry about all of this," she admitted, looking into his eyes nervously, "I...I was just...well, Zim and I had that project to finish, and...oh, who am I kidding? This is all my fault...I'm sorry. However...I have...something to ask you. Do you mind?"

"I...I don't mind." Dib responded, kind of blown away by Ray's previous statement. He hadn't expected Ray to apologize...well, he hadn't expected Ray at all. He was actually almost completely sure that he was going to get beaten up and left there.

"Well...um...do you want to see that movie with me tonight?" Ray asked, eyes seeming even larger than usual, "Zim and I are finished with our project, so...yeah. Do you want to?" Dib blinked in shock - he hadn't expected this either. Immediately, he nodded.

"I...I'd love to!" Dib answered happily, "Um...meet me at the theater at...six?" Ray nodded cheerfully. Dib's mood had changed from being fearful to ecstatic in a matter of minutes. He was delighted to be able to hang out with Ray for the first time in what seemed like forever...perhaps it was the first time.

"Oh, by the way...I see your black eye has completely healed," Ray commented, "I think Zim is actually starting to feel guilty about punching you. Well, he doesn't even know that _I_ know he punched you, but I think he feels guilty about _something._" She giggled quietly after finishing.

"That's...not normal for him," Dib remarked, "but then again, nothing is normal for Zim." Ray was incredibly happy, but also felt a little weird about mentioning her friend in a normal conversation. It was probably because she...well, she _liked _him...but there could've been other reasons.

"Zim's probably looking for me," Ray murmured, letting go of Dib's hand, "See you at six, okay?" She took off then, trying to find Zim somewhere in the cafeteria. Dib didn't care about her going to sit with Zim - he was on top of the world about being able to see the movie with her.

By the time Ray finally found Zim, he was starting to get worried. "Where were you?" Zim asked anxiously, "I thought...well, I thought...oh, I don't know what I thought." Ray smiled and sat down next to him. Zim flinched slightly, still worried about what had happened the night before.

_How in the world did this happen? _he asked himself, _How could I have fallen for a mere human? Why not someone of my own kind? I need to change things now, before it's too...who am I kidding? It's way too late to change anything. Oh, Ray...I'm in love with you, Ray._

_It sounds so fake, _Ray thought, _Zim can't possibly like me. I wonder if he's figured it out yet...that I...well...wow. Love is such a confusing thing. You never know what's wrong and what's right. I wish I could just be brave and tell him how I feel about him, though..._

Zim and Ray spent most of the whole lunch period just staring at one another nervously. When Ray finally spoke up, her voice was quiet. "I...I just wanted to let you know that Dib and I are going to see a movie tonight, so...um...do you want to hang out tomorrow?"

"Sure," Zim responded, smiling slightly, "Um...how about my house?" He felt so nervous all of a sudden - the usual happiness he felt when he was around Ray had been replaced with pure anxiety. He guessed that it was because of his newly-discovered feelings for Ray.

"Sounds good to me," Ray told Zim, "I can't wait." Their conversation progressed normally after that, but both Ray and Zim were still nervous about their feelings for each other. Something about their conversation was different, and neither of them could place it.

...

Ray stood in front of the theater, occasionally glancing up at the clock hanging inside. It was five fifty-seven...she had arrived two minutes ago, hoping Dib hadn't already arrived. He hadn't, but Ray still felt nervous. She had no idea what was causing her to feel this way.

A few people who were walking in and out of the theater gave Ray strange looks, but she ignored them. Another minute passed, and she entertained herself by continuously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She wished she wasn't so impatient, but it was hard not to be.

Ray watched as a crowd of giggling teenage girls walked by, all squealing excitedly amongst themselves about some actor who they all thought was cute. Ray sighed, wondering how it was even possible for some people to be that stupid. She hoped she would never join the crowd of girls who freaked out over actors.

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted rather abruptly. Dib Membrane had just noticed her and was now standing at the bottom of the steps and smiling. "Good afternoon," he began happily, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting very long." Ray laughed softly in response.

"Don't worry, I didn't have to wait very long," she replied, "Besides, you're here now. That's what matters, right?" Dib blushed slightly as she spoke. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what it was like to have a friend...someone who actually cared about him. It felt good.

Ray and Dib stepped inside the theater with Ray holding Dib's hand. Colorful posters for movies that were either currently out or coming out in a few weeks hung along the walls, and the nostalgic scent of buttered popcorn filled the air. Even though Dib rarely visited movie theaters, something about that scent...oh, the memories.

"Two tickets for Sweet Nightmares, please." Ray told the teenage boy at the front counter. She opened the black backpack that she always wore, removed five dollars from it, and handed it to the boy. He accepted it, handing Ray the tickets with a bored expression on his face.

As Ray and Dib walked further into the room, Ray approached the snack bar. "Do you want anything?" she asked gently, "It's on me." Dib paused for a moment to think about what was going on. Although he had originally suggested seeing Sweet Nightmares, Ray was the one who was paying for everything.

"Um...listen, I'll just pay for everything," Dib responded quietly, "Really." Ray only shook her head, taking out a few more dollars from her backpack. Her dark brown eyes seemed to be filled with compassion...either that, or liquid chocolate. She tilted her head to the side and smiled slightly.

"No, I'll take care of all this," Ray insisted, "After all, I owe you for being such a jerk earlier." Dib was almost unable to prevent himself from sighing - he had the feeling that he didn't have the ability to convince Ray otherwise. She skipped up to the snack bar, ordering two drinks and a bag of popcorn.

By the time she returned, the movie was about to start. "Are you ready to go?" Ray asked, handing Dib the soda she had bought for him. Dib nodded and followed Ray into the theater. The lights hanging on the walls were still on, meaning that the movie hadn't started yet.

"Hm..." Ray began quietly, "so where do you want to sit?" Dib said nothing, but the way he pointed up at the seats near the back told Ray everything. She walked up the stairs lightly, almost as if her feet weren't touching the ground. Dib followed her, too dazzled to say anything.

The two of them sat down near the back of the theater and waited for the previews to end and for the movie to start. "You _do _know that most movie snacks are usually eaten during the previews and not during the actual movie, right?" Ray asked, laughing softly.

"Yeah," Dib replied, smiling happily, "We should probably save the popcorn for later, huh?" Ray burst out laughing and held Dib's hand in hers. Dib blushed again, but Ray couldn't see it - the lights were beginning to go out around them. The previews on the screen were reflected in Dib's glasses.

The movie itself was science fiction...something about monsters that only visited people in their dreams. If they visited them in a nightmare, well...the person wouldn't wake up the next day. They would either be forever trapped in a coma or would just die.

Ray thought it was all very silly, although she had to admit seeing a monster like those in her dreams would definitely freak her out. Mostly, she was just enjoying being able to spend time with Dib. She still felt like an idiot for spending so much time with Zim, and she knew she had to make it up to him.

Though most of Sweet Nightmares could be considered either science fiction or horror, Ray and Dib were laughing the whole way through. Some of the people trying to fight the monsters were incredibly stupid...defending themselves with pillows? _ Really?_

When the movie finally ended and the lights began to gradually come on, Ray and Dib didn't bother to stay in the theater - they weren't the kind of people who wanted to see who played who in the credits. Instead, Ray got up and stretched quickly before walking out of the theater.

"I'm never used to light after being in a movie theater," Ray muttered, shielding her face with one arm, "Seriously." Dib laughed as they left the building and found themselves outside again. The air around them was pleasantly cool, and Ray's dark hair blew in the breeze.

"That was a lot of fun," Dib told her, "Thank you so much." Before lunch that day, Dib had only thought that he would spend the rest of the day either trying to stop Zim or wishing he and Ray could've been better friends. He hadn't expected any of this to happen.

"You're welcome," Ray responded happily, "Besides, don't I still owe you?" Dib looked around quickly, wondering if anyone else was close by. It seemed as though nobody had just seen them leave the theater. Once he was sure nobody else was around, he rather abruptly hugged Ray.

"No," he murmured, "You don't owe me anything now." He let go then, unsure about what Ray's thoughts on what had just happened would be. Ray only smiled and grabbed Dib's hand, walking down the sidewalk with him with a slight spring in her step.

"Oh, that's good," she remarked, "I guess we can call ourselves friends again now. Right?" Dib nodded, and the two of them walked home together. The sky was a pale gray, obscured by clouds. Ray was on top of the world - everything had been patched up between her and Dib, and nothing bad had happened.

...

Zim stared out of the nearest window at the seemingly endless expanse of clouds. He and Gir were sitting on the couch, although Gir was taking a light nap. Zim was stroking Gir's head absentmindedly with a pensive expression on his face. He appeared to be lost in thought.

Gir blinked and sat up, tail wagging slowly. "What's wrong, Master?" he asked in a high-pitched voice. Zim looked down at Gir, as though hearing his dog talk was completely normal for him. He sighed quietly and closed his eyes for a few moments.

"It...it's Ray," Zim explained softly, opening his eyes, "I...well, you've probably figured it out by now, right? You do know that...I've fallen in love with her?" Gir looked confused for a second, but then nodded. Zim smiled a little, but the sadness in his eyes was clear.

"I'm so confused right now," he admitted, "I've always felt nervous when around Ray, but now...I feel like making the smallest movement will make her hate me. I feel like my life depends on her...it's all so weird. I don't understand any of it...it's all new to me."

"Ray's different," Gir commented, "Everyone else is mean. Ray's nice." Zim laughed quietly at Gir's words. Gir always seemed to do that - making everything sound more immature, as though calling Ray nice was all it took to make it all better. Gir's tail wagged a little faster.

"She's _very _different," Zim added, "She doesn't play in the rain like everyone else, she rarely ever eats, her pet fox seems to really get along well with you...nobody else I know seems to have those traits. As a matter of fact, we're actually...well, very similar."

Zim remembered the day Ray had told him a bit about her past. She had said something about an organization..."Wait," Zim thought aloud, "She was part of an organization. Apparently, she only lives with Vir. She doesn't go near water. She doesn't eat much. She said Vir was her...partner..."

_Is Ray even...human?_


	11. Chapter 10: The Otherworldly Truth

Zim woke up in a cold sweat. He didn't bother to glance at the clock and see what time it was - he just sat up quickly and took a few deep breaths. _Ray's not human. Ray's not human. Ray's not human. _His nightmares were the proof - Ray couldn't possibly be a human.

The day he had first met her had played over and over again. _"Well, it's kind of hard to explain. It just makes me feel weird, and there's not much more I can say." _He found himself standing in the middle of a rainfall with Ray. Both of them were holding umbrellas and staring at the rain around them.

Suddenly, Ray vanished, along with the umbrella Zim held. He dropped to the ground instantly, droplets of water burning his Irken skin. Pain shot through him, and the only thing he could do was scream. This scene repeated itself several times throughout the nightmare.

Ray had told him she was once part of an organization. Vir was her partner. She rarely ever ate, which reminded Zim of his apparent allergies to human food. She didn't ever go out in the rain. There was also the fact that she always had that black backpack...

A few minutes later, Zim had calmed down a bit and could assess his possible options in a bit of a more logical manner. _What am I supposed to do? _he thought, _I can't just ask her if she's human...can I? I can't just...reveal to her who I really am...can I?_

_Maybe I can just ignore it. We can live our lives as though we're normal, and...and I'll spare her life when I take over Earth. No, that wouldn't work...I would end up telling her everything. We can't stay like this. After all, I...I'm in love with Ray. I can't keep this secret from her anymore._

When Zim finally left his room after debating for several minutes, he noticed that Gir was sitting up on a table and staring out of the window with an intense expression on his face. His tail was wagging erratically, and Zim couldn't help but wonder why he looked so entranced.

"What are you looking at, Gir?" he asked, standing next to the table the little green dog was sitting on. Gir said nothing at first, but then looked up at his master and giggled childishly. Zim was unable to prevent himself from smiling as Gir jumped up onto his head.

"Good morning, Master!" he cried optimistically, "I was just waiting for Ray!" He sprang off of Zim's head and landed on the floor, running around in circles and chasing his tail. "She just walked past, I think." Zim blinked in shock and quickly glanced out of the nearest window.

Earlier that morning, Ray had excitedly rushed up to Dib's house and personally asked him if he wanted to walk to Skool with her. "Hi, Dib!" she had told him cheerfully, "Do you, um...want to walk to Skool with me? I won't bite, I promise." She giggled lightly, although she sounded a bit nervous.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing, actually," Dib admitted, smiling, "I would love to!" Ray grinned, and the two of them began a lighthearted walk to Skool. Mostly, they were just discussing the movie, but while Ray was completely focused on their conversation, Dib's mind was elsewhere.

_Something strange is happening, _the ten-year-old thought nervously, _I...I don't know why, but I'm starting to feel really anxious around Ray. Is this just because we're friends? I don't get it...what is it about her that's making me feel like this? _The answers to his questions remained unknown.

Since Dib couldn't find the answers, he decided to forget about them and devote the remaining portion of his thoughts to Ray. She was a few feet ahead of him, skipping along as though she had never been happier. He couldn't help but smile as he walked along behind her.

As Zim glanced out of the window, he noticed that Ray and Dib had just walked past his house. He dashed out of it and onto the sidewalk, but he didn't really have to catch up to the two of them - as soon as Ray heard the sound of feet landing on the pavement, she whirled around and found herself staring into Zim's gray eyes once again. Dib stopped as well, turning slightly and wondering why Ray had just suddenly halted.

Although Ray didn't want to admit it, her heart skipped a beat when she noticed Zim. "...Hey," she began, trying desperately to keep her voice steady, "Good morning, Zim." Dib suppressed a sigh - Zim was interrupting them once again. He just wanted to have a conversation with his friend...

"Good morning, Ray," Zim replied, trying his hardest not to sound nervous, "Um...do you mind if I walk to Skool with you guys?" A part of his mind was snarling at him, telling him to shut up and walk to Skool on his own, but he had learned to ignore that fraction of his thoughts.

Ray smiled cheerfully. "Not at all," she told Zim, "Dib and I were just discussing the movie we saw last night." Their walk resumed, and Ray slowed down to a leisurely walking speed in order to stay beside Zim and Dib as the three of them made their way to Skool.

As they walked, Zim rather abruptly noticed that Dib was giving him what looked like an angry glare. He tried to ignore it, wanting to enjoy his time with Ray, but Dib's brown eyes seemed to be shooting daggers. A stone-cold silence enveloped the two rivals as their eyes locked.

Ray paused, apparently noticing the tension in the air. "The movie last night was really fun, wasn't it?" she asked, attempting to start a conversation and lighten the mood. Dib's glare faded as he looked up at Ray and smiled. She smiled back, happy that she had at least gotten one of them to cheer up.

"Yeah," Dib responded, as though nothing had happened between him and Zim, "It was a lot of fun. I'm glad I got to see it with you." Zim watched the two of them converse, wondering what to say. He wished he could just tell Ray about his feelings for her, but something in his mind was preventing him from doing that.

"So what movie did you two see?" Zim asked, managing a small smile as Ray turned to face him. In actuality, Zim knew nothing about movies, so he highly doubted he would recognize this one's title. Whatever the two of them had seen, it would definitely be new to him.

"It was called Sweet Nightmares," Ray explained, "and it was very interesting." The rest of the walk consisted of Ray continuously alternating who she was talking to. She would either be talking to Zim or Dib - but never both at the same time. She didn't give their rivalry any more thought.

Time passed, and a little while later, Zim, Dib, and Ray arrived at Skool. The air was pleasant and cool, brightening Ray's mood even further as she skipped up to the building. Zim ran along behind her, and Dib followed, hoping he wouldn't enter the classroom completely breathless.

The three of them entered their classroom about a minute before the bell rang. Ray arrived first, but Zim followed immediately. "I'll talk to you after class, okay, Zim?" Ray asked as Zim entered the room, still full of energy. Zim nodded and sat down. Ray walked over to her desk and did the same.

Just as Dib entered the room, the bell rang and the Skool day began. He was almost counted late, but reached his desk just in time. Ray gave him a quick wave before the lesson began and prevented them from communicating any longer.

...

Class was progressing as normal for practically everyone but Zim. His walk to Skool with Ray had made him completely forget about his assumption about her. Although he could restrain himself from staring at her, he couldn't stop thinking about whether Ray was truly human or not.

The evidence of Ray's inhumanness was continuously listed in his mind. _Ray doesn't play in the rain. She doesn't eat much. She was once part of an organization. Apparently, she doesn't have parents. She never stops wearing that backpack of hers. She said Vir was her partner. She doesn't have a last name._

_But...does that mean Ray is Irken? _Zim thought nervously, _Why would she be here if that was the case? Is she here to take my place...and my mission? After all, someone has tried to do that before...but they failed. What other reason would there be for her coming to Earth?_

_...That doesn't sound right. Ray's acting too...well, too _nice._ If she was here to take my place, she probably would've tried to beat me up from the start. Plus, she's being nice to Dib, which doesn't make much sense. Of course, Ray might not be Irken at all...it's just a guess._

_If she isn't Irken, how can I explain her strange behavior? Lack of family? Inhuman actions? Has she already figured out who I really am...? _Just then, Zim's inner monologue was interrupted by his teacher snarling at him to pay attention. He sighed and snapped back to reality.

Luckily for Zim, Ray wasn't obsessed with whether Zim was human or not. However, she still had her doubts. She had spent so much time passing Zim's green skin off as some sort of illness, but there were just too many other incriminating facts that made Zim not human.

Ray wasn't thinking about that at the moment, though. She had other things on her mind...like how nice it was to have friends. Despite that, there were still many things she was nervous about - Zim and Dib's rivalry was always somewhere on the list. Number one on this imaginary list, however, was her crush on Zim.

Ray wanted to tell Zim what she really felt about him, but she wasn't sure about what he would say as a response. A part of her mind wanted them to just stay friends and not anything more, but that part was soon overpowered by her overwhelming desire to tell him the truth.

Class ended a few minutes later, and most of the students immediately exited the classroom to head to the cafeteria. Ray, on the other hand, stood in the doorway and waited for Zim to be ready to leave. He got to his feet and approached her, finding it impossible not to smile.

"Hey," he began, voice wavering slightly, "Are you...are you still coming over after Skool?" Dib was standing in the corner of the room, watching as Ray and Zim walked out of the room and began their journey to the lunchroom. He followed them silently, wanting to hear a bit of their conversation.

"Unless you're busy, then I guess so," Ray answered, taking Zim's hand in hers as they made their way down the hall, "You don't mind if I bring Vir along, right?" Zim could barely manage to shake his head, unable to stop blushing. Ray was smiling, but what Zim didn't notice was that she was blushing as well.

Dib watched them, wondering what in the world was wrong with him. After watching Zim and Ray's sugar-sweet conversation, he felt a strange feeling boiling inside him that he had never experienced before. There was only one word to describe this feeling, and it was the only word he couldn't think of.

Jealousy.

...

The final bell rang, and several of the students literally jumped out of their seats to escape the horrid building known as Skool. Ray didn't follow the others just yet - she just sat at her desk for a few short moments and pondered the odd event that had occurred that day at lunch.

She wanted to come up to Dib and ask him why he had given her that look that appeared to be mixed anger and confusion, but he had already left the room. As a matter of fact, he had been the first one out the door. Dib had just wanted to get away from everything.

He wanted to go home and stay there for the entire break from Skool. The ten-year-old wasn't entirely sure why he had felt that strange emotion earlier, but he wanted to spend the break researching it. Likewise, he felt like he had no time to stop and talk to Ray before beginning his investigation.

Ray knew none of this, and felt a little depressed when she noticed that Dib had already left. Just as she got up and was about to follow him, someone tapped her on her shoulder. She turned around quickly, not expecting Zim to be standing right behind her and smiling slightly.

"Hi," he began happily, "What's wrong? You look kind of sad." Ray said nothing and left the room with Zim following her. He had the feeling that she was just thinking about what to say...after all, why would she be blatantly ignoring him? That just wasn't the "Ray" thing to do.

"It's about Dib," she confessed, sighing quietly to herself, "He gave me the strangest look earlier at lunch...without any explanation whatsoever." Zim paused for a moment, but then shrugged, not knowing anything about the odd expressions the paranormal investigator sometimes used.

"Hm...well, I have no idea what he was trying to tell you," Zim told Ray, "but I'll see you in a few minutes, right?" Ray looked up and smiled slightly before nodding. The two of them walked home in silence, unsure about what to say to each other as they approached their houses.

Ironically, both of them were thinking about the same thing - whether the other was human or not. Ray waved quickly at Zim before departing, probably to get Vir before doing anything else. Zim watched her go before entering his own house and immediately being attacked by Gir.

"Master!" he cried excitedly, "Ray's coming over, right?" Zim smiled weakly and nodded, although he found it very difficult to appear happy. Thoughts about Ray were swirling around in his head like a raging tornado, and he wasn't sure how to calm them down.

Gir squealed loudly and sprang off of Zim, running around in little circles and chasing his tail. Zim watched, even finding Gir's usual antics somewhat-depressing. A dark cloud had settled above his head, and he couldn't stop wondering if it would be right to ask Ray if she was human.

A few minutes passed with Gir just running around in circles and Zim wondering what to do. Once these minutes were over, there was a knock at the front door. Zim answered it, predicting that it would be Ray and Vir and watching his prediction come true.

"Hey." Ray began shyly, staring down at her feet. While Gir and Vir played together as though they had known each other forever, Zim and Ray found themselves caught in an awkward silence, each one thinking of the same question and being unable to ask it.

...

Hours passed. Ray paced continuously, her expression distant. Zim watched her, standing a few feet away and wondering what was on her mind. They had spent what seemed like hours saying nothing, but at that very moment, Ray finally broke the silence, shattering it like glass.

"Zim..." she murmured softly, "I...I have a bit of a confession. You see, I'm...I'm really nervous about how our friendship is going." She stopped pacing, staring right into Zim's gray eyes and wishing she knew what to say to him. Why couldn't she just admit her true feelings for him?

"Same here," Zim responded darkly, "As a matter of fact...I'm really nervous right now. I feel like there's some sort of question I should be asking you, but...oh, I just don't know." Ray's eyes widened slightly, but then her expression became a depressed, gloomy one.

Gir and Vir had chased each other into another room, and were now jumping around on Gir's bed. However, they were silent, wanting to hear a bit of Ray's conversation with Zim. As soon as they heard Ray begin, they both stopped jumping and their ears perked up, eager to listen.

Ray took a few steps back and found herself staring out of the nearest window. When she spoke again, her voice sounded faint, as though it was fading away like the memories of an amnesiac. "Zim," she almost-whispered, "...have you ever had a secret that you couldn't tell anyone?"

Zim froze, unable to speak. He couldn't believe Ray had just asked him that. _Oh, no, _he thought, _This is bad. This is really bad. Ray figured it out, didn't she? She knows, doesn't she? Oh, no...no, this can't be happening. She hasn't...she doesn't...oh, no..._

Ray stared into Zim's eyes once again. They were filled with nervousness and anxiety...the same emotions she was feeling. She had thought, if she was going to tell Zim any of her secrets, the one she would tell him would be that she had a crush on him. She hadn't expected her heart to steer her off in this direction.

Zim stepped closer, trying to erase his fear with the idea that everything would be alright. "You've figured it out...haven't you?" he asked her, voice wavering, "You know the truth...don't you? The...the otherworldly truth..." Ray looked slightly confused, taking one of Zim's hands in hers.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Zim," she murmured, "Are you okay?" Zim blinked in shock - he hadn't expected this. He decided that there was no turning back now...it was time to ask. The question that had been eating away at his consciousness for the past twenty-four hours finally surfaced.

"Ray, I have to ask you the question," Zim muttered, unable to avoid Ray's dark-eyed gaze, "Are...are you human?" Many emotions surged through Ray's mind as he asked her this question. She gave in, feeling like a ceiling that had collapsed in on itself. However, she responded with a touch of humor.

"Oh, I don't know..." she remarked nonchalantly, "...are you?" Her expression suddenly became serious again. Ray let go of Zim's hand, facing him head-on with a surprisingly dark stare. Zim had no idea what was going on, finding himself too scared of what was about to happen to respond.

Ray opened her backpack and removed what looked like a can of spray-paint without a label. However, instead of spraying it on a surface that needed to be painted, she sprayed it on herself. Zim watched in shock as her pale skin tone became a light green and her ears and nose appeared to vanish completely.

She pressed what seemed to be a hidden button on her backpack, which rather suddenly turned a lovely silver color. The large spots that now covered the backpack glowed with a strange, pink light as her outfit grew sharper...stronger. It transformed into a uniform Zim was all too familiar with.

A pair of antennae stuck up from Ray's cascade of dark hair and twitched slightly. She removed her contacts, revealing a pair of ruby-red, Irken eyes. Zim was paralyzed - it was like staring into a mirror. Her red eyes were the same as his own.

Ray was gone - standing in front of Zim was a full-fledged Irken invader with long, dark brown hair. Black began to creep into his field of vision, although he didn't know why. Invader Ray watched as Zim staggered a bit, collapsed onto the floor, and passed out.


	12. Chapter 11: My Special Place

Zim woke up to the faint sound of a few birds chirping from somewhere outside. For a moment, he felt utterly and entirely dislocated, only listening to the beautiful whistling the birds made. About a minute later, Zim snapped back to reality and remembered what had happened the night before.

_Ray is Irken, _Zim realized, _Ray is an Irken invader. _He sat up immediately, but found himself lying in his own bedroom. Ray's ruby-red eyes burned in front of his face, reminding him of the little scene that had taken place last night. Zim blinked continuously, trying to blot the eyes out of his vision.

"Wait...what am I doing here?" he asked himself nervously, surveying the room with a look - and feeling - of caution, "I don't...I don't remember going to bed last night." Something about Zim's current condition wasn't quite right, and he just couldn't place it.

_Amnesia? _Zim thought, _Do I have a case of memory loss? _Then, it came to him - the black creeping into his field of vision, the odd sensation of falling...it all made sense. He finally solved the puzzle - he had fainted, and he hadn't woken up until right then.

Zim anxiously got to his feet and paused to think about the events that had occurred the night before. Ray had removed her disguise, so she had to be Irken. Zim had fainted. Now, he was finally awake, recalling what had happened previously. Suddenly, it all made sense to him.

"Wait," Zim thought aloud, "Ray is Irken. I've had a crush on...on another one of my kind...for quite a while. Was our meeting _really _destiny? Was there something about her that just instantly made me gravitate toward her?" Deciding that staying in his room wasn't going to do him any good, Zim wandered off toward the living room.

_Thank goodness the Skool board scheduled a break today, _he thought, staring up at the clock that hung on the wall, _Otherwise, I'd be late for Skool right now. By the time I would've arrived, class would've already started. _Zim couldn't help but smile as he entered the living room.

Just as Zim stepped in, Gir rushed into the room, carrying a tray of cupcakes. "Good morning, Master!" the green dog cried excitedly, "Do you want a cupcake? I made them myself!" Although Zim had to admit that a cupcake would've tasted pretty good at that moment, he wasn't very hungry.

"No, thanks," Zim replied, "but can you help me with something, Gir?" Zim's little servant nodded. "Okay, then. I have to ask you something. What happened last night, exactly?" Gir paused, staring at his master with a look of slight confusion. He put the tray down next to him before speaking up.

"Well," Gir began somewhat-dramatically, "Vir and I heard something coming from somewhere else in the house, so we decided to see what it was. Ray told us you were really tired and had fallen asleep, so she and Vir went home. Ray looked like you, Master - she had the same eyes!"

"I know, Gir," Zim responded airily, "I know." Gir picked up the tray again, taking a cupcake from it and eating it himself. Zim was unusually quiet - he looked like he was in some other world, unable to think about anything but his crush, Ray, and who she truly was.

_Crush is such a strange word, _Zim thought, _It makes me think of someone getting smashed into the ground, but it feels like I'm walking on clouds. I wonder why they don't call it...call it "skywalking" or something? No, wait, that sounds like a reference to some old movie..._

Zim's train of thought crashed rather abruptly as someone knocked on the front door. "I'll get it," he told Gir automatically, rushing up to the door and pulling it wide open. He quickly glanced around, gray eyes searching the entire area, but there didn't appear to be anyone nearby.

_Did someone ding-dong ditch me or something? _Zim thought. He took one step forward and then rather suddenly noticed something. Lying right in front of his left foot was a folded-up piece of white paper, folded into a perfect rectangle. Zim picked it up and went back inside, closing the door behind him.

_What could this be? _Zim asked himself, staring down at the piece of paper in his hand. He turned it over, but his eyes widened when he noticed his name written on it in some sort of elegant, loopy script. The icing on the cake - that is, what really made him unable to look away - was the I in his name, which was dotted with a small heart.

Curiosity got the better of Zim, and he unfolded the paper. The same beautiful handwriting covered the page. For a moment, he was completely engrossed in the writing style, finding it impossible to tear his gaze away from the paper, but then he gave up and began to read the note aloud.

"Dear Zim," Zim read, noticing the heart that dotted every single I on the page, "Meet me out in front of my house in ten minutes if you can. I'll still be waiting outside if you're a little late, but I'll probably go back inside after about thirty minutes. Have you ever noticed how beautiful your eyes look in the sunlight? Love, Ray."

Zim froze as he stared, in shock, at the note in front of his face. "It...it's from Ray," he stuttered nervously, "She...she wants to meet me in front of her house in...in ten minutes. She signed it with 'love'...she signed it with 'love!'" Zim couldn't stop himself from sighing dreamily as he thought about Ray.

Gir peeked at Zim from his usual spot on the couch. "Aw, Master!" he exclaimed, letting out a childish giggle, "You're in _looove, _aren't you?" Zim turned slightly, not expecting Gir to be so close by. He managed a small smile as he placed the note from Ray onto the nearest table.

"...Yes, Gir," Zim responded softly, feeling sort of gentle and distant, "I...I'm in love with Ray." Gir squealed excitedly and sprang off of the couch, racing around in little circles on the floor and chasing his tail. Zim watched, unable to stop smiling, as the little green dog jumped up and hugged him before resuming the chase.

"I'm going to Ray's house now, since the trip will probably take me around eight minutes," Zim explained to Gir, "I'm not sure when I'll be back...but then again, you can take care of yourself, can't you?" Gir nodded happily as his master left the house, tail wagging erratically as he left.

As soon as he was one-hundred percent sure that Zim was gone, Gir dashed away to call Vir and tell her all about what Zim had said.

...

The sky was a pale gray and was covered in clouds - the kind of weather that made it look like it was about to rain - but it was no match for Zim's cheerful mood. True, he felt a little nervous about what Ray had done the night before, but that couldn't stop him from being excited. After all, he was going to see Ray again.

_Good thing Ray lives so close by, _Zim thought, absentmindedly stepping over every single crack on the sidewalk, _or else I would have a chance of being late. _He knew Ray probably wouldn't mind if he was a few minutes late, but he still didn't want to seem like he didn't care about seeing her.

Dib hadn't been on Zim's mind in quite a while - he was nothing but a mere shadow in the back of his head. Right now, the only one that mattered was Ray. Her house was about thirty feet away, and Zim walked toward it with an air of pure excitement about seeing his friend.

Zim stood on the sidewalk near Ray's house, unable to look away from the one thing that convinced him last night's events had been real. Invader Ray was leaning against the side of her house - without her disguise. Her bright red eyes darted upward when she noticed Zim approaching.

"Good morning, Zim," Ray began happily, dark hair blowing in the slight breeze as she walked up to him, "I guess you got my note, huh?" Zim nodded, not entirely sure what to say. Eventually, he decided to ask her the question that had just popped into his head.

"W-why aren't you...wearing your disguise?" Zim stuttered, wishing his voice would stop wavering, "We're...we're out in the open, Ray..." Ray smiled, taking Zim's hand in hers, which just made him blush. She giggled softly when she noticed this, which just confused Zim even further.

"It's okay, Zim," Ray responded, "I'm not laughing at you. You're just...oh, you're just so cute when you blush." This just made Zim blush even harder. "Don't worry, nobody's going to see us, so it doesn't really matter whether I wear my disguise or not." Zim paused for a moment to take in her logic.

"Us?" he asked quietly, "So you...you figured it out, huh? You know...right?" Ray nodded and squeezed Zim's hand reassuringly. A wave of relief washed over him - he had been a little nervous about telling Ray the truth without sounding overly hesitant or shy.

"Stop blushing," Ray commanded in a mock-serious tone, "You're breaking the law, sir. It's illegal to be that cute." There she was, calling Zim cute again. He still didn't think he could even be _slightly _cute, but Ray seemed to think otherwise about his appearance.

Just then, Ray started to walk past her house. Since she was still holding Zim's hand, he stumbled after her, feeling a little anxious. "Um, Ray?" Zim began, "Where are we going?" Ray whirled around, letting go of Zim's hand in the process. They had already walked past her house, leaving a large forest ahead of them.

"I'm taking you to my special place," Ray explained gently, "It's in this forest. It'll take us a bit of a hike to get there, but don't worry, it shouldn't be too strenuous for you. I'll show you the way, just so you won't get lost. Follow me, okay?" Zim nodded, and Ray skipped off into the forest.

The path was long and winding, surrounded by several thick layers of trees. Zim was entranced by their beauty - the forest was a whole other world to him. Dappled light shone through the patches in the leaves above him and Ray, making the place seem almost magical.

Ray slowed down so Zim could catch up, and was now walking next to him, holding his hand. "This...is wonderful, Ray," Zim told her, smiling, "I...I can't even begin to describe how this makes me feel..." Ray smiled and hugged him rather quickly before continuing their walk.

"Trust me, you haven't even _seen _wonderful yet," she replied, "and we're almost there. We just have to get over this cliff." Zim looked up and stifled a gasp as he stared at the cliff in front of him - it was probably around six feet tall, and most likely impossible to climb up. Zim wondered how they could possibly get over it.

Suddenly, four spindly-looking metal legs sprouted from Ray's PAK and dug firmly into the ground. As the legs rose, lifting her off of the ground, she took Zim with her, who was surprisingly light. The long legs dug into the ground with every step they took, taking Ray and Zim right over the cliff.

As they landed back on the ground and the legs retracted into Ray's PAK again, Zim couldn't help but laugh breathlessly. "I should've expected that." he commented, watching as Ray let go of his hand and walked ahead. He followed, wondering if they had arrived.

"Close your eyes, Zim," Ray murmured softly, turning her head slightly as she spoke to him. Zim obeyed, and he felt Ray's hand in his as she led him toward what was probably their destination. She let go then, taking a few steps forward and no longer facing Zim. "Open them." she commanded quietly.

Zim opened his eyes and found himself staring at the most perfect place he had ever seen. Endless, rolling hills of light green grass spread out before him, dotted with the occasional flower or two in certain locations. A lone tree stood in the distance, leaves rustling as the wind blew through it.

The sun shone above them, illuminating the entire meadow. "This is my special place," Ray explained, still not turning around, "I don't think a single human has ever discovered it...You're the first one I've ever shared it with." Zim's eyes widened as he heard these words.

"It's...it's beautiful, Ray," he almost-whispered, "Thank you for bringing me here..." Ray still hadn't turned around, although Zim could see her antennae twitching. It seemed like she was trying to stand perfectly still, but her antennae refused to stop moving.

"I have something to show you, Zim," Ray told her friend, "I noticed this a few weeks ago...Just watch." She turned around, and Zim was in for one of the biggest shocks of his entire life. Ray's ruby-red eyes were...they were _glowing. _They were really glowing. He had never seen anything like it.

"I think it's because of solar energy," Ray explained, answering the question Zim was about to ask, "I think our eyes are absorbing solar energy and making us stronger, sort of like photosynthesis with plants. Enough with the science, though - I want to see _your _eyes glow, Zim. Please."

Zim finally gave in, deciding there was no point in leaving his disguise on any longer. He removed both his contacts and his hairpiece, and his antennae perked up almost immediately, as though they were happy to be free. Zim exhaled gently before stepping into the meadow.

"Wow, Zim," Ray breathed, shock washing over her face, "You...you look amazing." Zim couldn't stop himself from smiling, although he felt a bit nervous. Both he and Ray had removed their disguises and told each other who they really were, but there was one more secret he hadn't told her yet.

"There's...there's one more thing I haven't told you," Zim admitted, "You know I'm Irken. You know about my rivalry with Dib. You could...you could probably foil my plans of world conquest easily, if you wanted to. But...but I haven't told you that...that I..._I love you, Invader Ray._"

Ray took a few steps forward, tears brimming in her iridescent eyes. "I love you, too, Invader Zim."

...

"So..." Zim began casually, sitting in the grass next to Ray, "Why did you come to Earth, anyway?" They had sat there in the grass for a few minutes now, just enjoying the peace and serenity around them. Ray sighed gently before responding to Zim's question.

"It all started a little while after one of my Irken training sessions," Ray told Zim, smiling warmly, "I had been hit in the head with one of the missiles, and I was having a pretty bad day. However, just as I retired to my room, I heard some voices from outside...two other Irken invaders, I suppose."

"I don't remember their words very well - my head was still in pain, and it was a little hard to hear - but I thought I heard them talking about an invader...one of our kind...who was trapped on a planet called Earth. They said something about the Almighty Tallest, so I guess they had a role as well."

"They did," Zim muttered, "They...they sent me here. Was I the one those two invaders were talking about?" Ray shrugged, holding Zim's hand again. Her eyes had a distant look to them, despite the fact that they were still glowing in an ethereal fashion.

"The Tallest always seemed to prefer me over the other invaders," Ray continued, "I always received the most praise and the best privileges. However, I had never considered the possibility that the Tallest were...evil. When I heard about that invader, my opinion on them changed drastically."

"I had spent ages thinking of the Tallest as parental guardians. They had led me along the path of an Irken invader, after all. But when I heard about someone being trapped on Earth, I started to formulate a plan to flee from the Tallest and go to Earth, to rescue them."

"On the day of the Great Assigning, I was given my SIR robot an hour before the other invaders, most likely due to the Tallest's opinion of me. She was a high-tech model, but I affectionately nicknamed her Vir. She was my partner from the start, and I loved her immediately."

"I didn't want to put my SIR robot through all of this, though. When the time came, I dashed away from the Tallest and found a ship I could use for my escape. I flew off, but they weren't finished with me yet. They still had a way to communicate with me - through Vir."

"The Tallest got into Vir's head and started messing with her mind. They commanded her to attack the ship, and she obeyed. We were going down, but we were headed to Earth...where, if the Tallest didn't stop controlling Vir, she would most likely kill me."

"However, Vir found a way to make controlling her impossible. Somehow, she managed to cut some of the wires in her head, effectively shutting down several parts of her mind and rendering her dysfunctional. I swore on Vir's sanity that I would succeed in my mission...to rescue that lone invader."

"I was never really trapped, though," Zim pointed out, "I was...I was sent here. The Tallest said so..." Suddenly, he looked a bit nervous. "Have they been lying to me this whole time? Am I...am I really nothing to them?" He almost felt tears come to his eyes, but he refused to cry.

"It's okay, Zim," Ray assured him, "I love you. And besides, you're the best invader ever." Zim's eyes were still filled with sadness, but when he looked up at Ray, he was smiling slightly. He was also blushing again, but Ray decided that pointing that out at the moment didn't really matter.

"No, you're the best invader ever," Zim responded, "You lost everything for me. You came here for me. All because of a rumor." He shook his head. "Ray, you're the best invader ever, and I mean that." Ray laughed quietly, not noticing that she was blushing as well.

"_You're _the best invader ever, Zim," she insisted, "Sure, I came here because of you, but...well, I didn't expect to fall in love with you. You probably wouldn't be wasting your time falling in love if _you _were given the task of rescuing a trapped invader...it just doesn't sound like you."

"Yeah, right," Zim replied, "Ray, _you're_ the best invader ever." Their conversation progressed like this for quite a while, with both Zim and Ray insisting that the other was the best invader ever. After quite a bit of this, Ray was starting to get a little crazy.

"Zim, _you're _the best invader ever." she stated, smirking mischievously. Zim grinned, revealing zipper-like teeth that glinted in the sunlight. Ray could immediately tell that he was thinking of some huge comeback - mainly because of his antennae, which wouldn't stop twitching.

"Well, maybe I am..." Zim murmured, apparently to himself, as he stretched out in the grass and tried to look as gorgeous as possible. Ray burst out laughing, letting go of his hand and pushing him over. He collapsed, but then immediately sat up again, laughing happily.

"Like heck you are!" Ray cried playfully, continuing their fake fight with a light slap. Within minutes, Invaders Ray and Zim were chasing each other throughout the meadow, the only words their Irken minds were able to formulate being _I, love, _and _you._


	13. Chapter 12: I Think I Love You

Dib Membrane began to wonder if his life could possibly get any worse. It was the second day of the break, and he still hadn't found any solutions to his current problem - that strange emotion from two days ago. _What was that feeling? _he thought, _Why was I...oh, I don't know what it was._

Dib sat at the kitchen table and stared down at the piece of paper in front of him. It was blank now - a pure, pristine white. He gripped a pencil firmly in his left hand, trying to think of what sort of emotion he had felt. He knew it was somewhere in his mind - he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Zim came to his mind frequently as well. _This is probably all his fault, _Dib thought angrily, _He probably caused me to feel the way I do now...Stay away from Ray, Zim. Leave us alone, and never...never come back. _He buried his face in his hands, wishing he knew what that feeling was.

Gaz was sitting in front of the television, watching some cartoon that she had probably seen several times before. The ten-year-old restricted himself from looking - he wasn't going to get distracted, especially not now. Right now, he was just trying to focus on Ray, Zim, and that odd emotion.

Dib closed his eyes and slipped into a light daydream. He was with Ray...they were walking through a familiar place...the park! They were walking, hand in hand, and Ray looked so happy...While in his daydream, Dib began doodling on the once-blank piece of paper.

While his daydream progressed and moved on to him and Ray sitting on a park bench and talking, Dib's left hand flew across the page, drawing quick, feverish lines. The paper was now covered with lines, although no actual image was visible. The lines appeared to be scattered around at random.

Suddenly, Dib's daydream changed. The scene around him and Ray became a spot near his house. Night had fallen, and Ray...Ray was hugging him. Even though it was dark, the blush on his cheeks was easy to identify. The daydream ended then, and Dib's eyes snapped open.

"What was that?" he thought aloud, "Was I...was Ray...was she hugging me?" He glanced down at his paper. During the last scene of his daydream, several of the lines had converged, forming...a picture of Ray. He sighed quietly, knowing he had the ability to draw better than that.

Dib got to his feet, putting the pencil down as he did so. "Maybe...maybe my daydream had some significance. Maybe...I'm supposed to go the park." His gaze wandered over toward the nearest window. The sky was still blanketed with pale gray clouds - just like it had been for the past few days.

"The weather seems pretty nice," Dib murmured to himself, "and even if it was storming outside, I would probably go anyway. The park...it has to have significance. It has to." Gaz, who had been watching cartoons for the past two hours or so, glared at her brother with rage burning in her eyes.

"Stop talking to yourself," she muttered darkly, "If you're going to go to the park, be my guest. You don't even have to return if you don't want to." Dib paused, unsure about whether Gaz was being nice or not. He finally came to the conclusion that Gaz was just being mean, but by that time, she was already gone.

"Okay, then," Dib responded, sounding slightly dejected, "I'm going to the park now. I'll...probably be back in, um...thirty minutes or so." Gaz said nothing in response - she was completely mesmerized by the images on the television. Dib decided there was no point in hanging around and left the house in silence.

The walk to the park didn't take very long. The distance from the Membrane household to the city park wasn't a long one. Dib didn't say anything during the journey, but within, his thoughts were a rapid tornado of confusion about that strange feeling he had experienced.

_Does it have something to do with Ray and Zim? _Dib asked himself, _I mean, their conversation was just so...so sugar-sweet. I thought I was going to throw up just watching them...oh, what's wrong with me? Why am I thinking all these horrid thoughts about Ray and Zim?_

_It's probably because of Zim. That dirty, rotten, Irken invader...he's probably going to hurt Ray if she's not careful. I did promise I would protect her...but then again, she's been protecting me. _Dib's mind flashed back to the day she had stopped those other kids from beating him up.

_"Hey!" Ray had shouted, "You leave him alone!" Ray's smart - she can take care of herself. What am I doing interfering? She could stop Zim's plot of world conquest without having to lift a finger. She's smart...and protective...and sweet. She's practically invincible, for crying out loud._

_Maybe I should tell her the truth about Zim...no, that would be too risky. She'd probably call me a creep, and then Zim would...Zim would kill her. I can't let that happen...I can't let that happen to Ray. _By this time, Dib was walking through the park, not straying from the sidewalk at all.

_Speaking of protectiveness, _the paranormal investigator thought, _what about me? Why am I so determined to protect Ray? Is this because...she's my friend? Because she's my first friend...and my only friend? That can't be...she can protect herself, after all...right?_

_Then there's that emotion. It couldn't have been me feeling happiness for them...it hurt too much. I wasn't particularly content, either...there was that quick, stabbing pain, and that stinging afterward. I wasn't all that sad...then I would probably still be experiencing a heartache._

_The worst part is that I already know I've felt this emotion before. I already know I've experienced it, but...where? When? Why? Wasn't it when...when Gaz came home that one day with a friend of hers? Yeah, that...that's exactly when. I was eight, and she was six..._

Gaz had made friends with someone - a girl her age. That particular girl - Teardrop, was it? - had come over to Gaz's house, and they were actually enjoying each other's company. Dib had watched them for a while, and then that peculiar feeling had hit him.

He was so confused then...he had just retreated to his room and spent the rest of the day wondering what it had been. _I must have dismissed the thought, _Dib thought, _but what do those two events have in common? Gaz had her first friend, and Ray was enjoying herself with my worst enemy..._

_That's it. I know what I'm feeling...it's jealousy. I was jealous of Gaz for having an actual friend, and I'm jealous of Zim for...for spending time with Ray? Is that it? That doesn't make any sense...I mean, Ray's my friend, but...that doesn't...I don't get it. Why am I so jealous of Zim?_

_Is it because...oh, no, that can't be true. I can't...no, that's not true. It's just...it's just not possible, and even if it is, it sounds...it doesn't sound right...and if it's true, I'm in for a world of hurt when I face Zim again, but...no, it's not true...Who am I kidding? It's true. It's completely true._

_I'm in love with Ray. Ray, I...I think I love you._

...

Dib was unable to believe what he had just told himself. As soon as he figured out what his feelings for Ray truly were, he stopped in his tracks, eyes widened in shock. He had just admitted it to himself - he was in love with the first friend he had ever made...and that friend was Ray.

_That's why I was jealous of Zim, _Dib realized, _It's because...I'm in love with Ray. I can't even begin to comprehend this...this feeling...it's all so strange. Is this what it means to be in love with someone? I feel like my very existence and being is tied to her...oh, Ray..._

"I have to tell her about this," Dib thought aloud, "I have to tell Ray about this right away!" He dashed out of the park, causing several of the people around him to give him strange looks. A few of the kids standing near the entrance looked especially confused.

"Isn't that the kid who found that ninja ghost in his toilet?" one of them asked, watching Dib sprint away. One of the other children nodded, unable to look away from the scythe-haired boy who was running down the sidewalk in order to get back to his house as fast as he could.

Dib made it back to his house in record time. As soon as he entered through the front door, however, he was greeted by Gaz. "You're finally back," she muttered without looking up from the TV screen, "You wouldn't believe how many times your _girlfriend _called you while you were gone."

"G-girlfriend?" Dib stuttered, "You mean...you mean Ray?" Gaz sighed exasperatedly and used the remote to pause the cartoon she was currently watching. She looked up, glaring at her older brother as though he knew absolutely nothing about the meaning of the word _girlfriend._

"Of course I do," she responded, "Ray's that freak girl you're so crazy about." Dib blushed in embarrassment and walked over to the phone, wondering why Ray would bother to call him. He picked up the phone and decided to check and see just how many messages Ray left.

"Four new messages." the miniature screen read. Dib suppressed a gasp - Ray had called him _four times? _He decided there was no harm in hearing what the messages were, so he hit the "Play" button and waited for the first message to play. Ray's soft voice emerged from the small speaker.

"Um, Dib? This is...this is Ray...I just wanted to know if you, um, wanted to come to my house today...please call me back." "Hi, this is Ray again...I just, um...wanted to check and see if you got my previous message...okay, bye." "This is Ray...again...um, have you gotten my messages?"

The last message caused Dib to feel a small, aching pain in his heart. "Dib?" it began, "Listen, I'm sorry for calling you so obsessively, but the truth is...I'm a bit nervous about your whereabouts. Are you okay...? Please call me back, Dib...I'm sorry for being so annoying."

Dib called Ray immediately and without hesitation. Gaz smirked slightly as she watched her brother feverishly dial Ray's number and put the phone to his ear, waiting for her to pick up. _Please pick up, Ray...please pick up. I need to talk to you, Ray. Please..._

Just then, Dib's train of thought was interrupted. "Hello?" Ray asked quietly, "This is Ray..." Dib froze for a moment, not sure about what to say to the girl he was...well, the girl he was in love with. Eventually, he came up with something, and began in a nervous voice.

"Hello, Ray," Dib murmured anxiously, "This...this is Dib. I got your messages...sorry it took me so long. I was...I was at the park. I had some thinking to do. I'm home now, though, so, um..." His voice trailed off, and there was silence on the other end for a few moments.

"Oh," Ray replied, breaking the silence, "So...do you want to, um...come over today?" Her voice was soft, and she sounded sort of nervous. Dib had the fleeting hope that Ray had feelings for him - that was why she was so nervous - but that thought left his mind when he remembered her sugar-sweet conversation with Zim.

"Sure," Dib responded, wishing his voice would stop wavering, "I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" He glanced over at Gaz, who appeared to be too engrossed in watching cartoons to pay attention to his talk with Ray. However, he could never be too sure - Gaz was known for being unpredictable.

"Okay," Ray concluded, "See you then." There was a faint _click _from the other end of the line as Ray hung up. Dib put the phone down with thoughts of his relationship with Ray swirling around insanely in his head. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get them to leave.

"Hey, Gaz?" Dib began, turning to face his sister, "I'm going to Ray's...all right?" Gaz paused her show again, sitting back up and glaring at her brother with an expression colder than a glacier. Ironically, Dib felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at the pale face of his sister.

"Fine," Gaz responded icily, "Why don't you just go there and _stay _there? I'm sure Ray would be _delighted _to have you." Her penetrating gaze didn't leave Dib until he left the house. Once he was gone, he didn't bother to look back, not wanting to meet Gaz's frigid eyes again.

Dib nervously made his way down the sidewalk. It was quite obvious that he had somehow _really _annoyed Gaz, and he was a bit worried about that. Gaz was, for lack of a better word, dangerous - she could probably kill him if she wanted to...with barely any effort at all on her part.

Ray's house wasn't unbearably far away. Dib was almost there when he finally calmed down and resumed thinking about her. For a moment, Gaz had distracted him, but then his thoughts had returned to Ray. Perhaps, now that he had a crush on her, she would be the only thing he could think about.

_This is so strange, _Dib thought, _I've fallen in love with the first friend I've ever had. Is this what it's like to be...to be in love? To be floating in an endless atmosphere of ethereal beauty? To be with the one you love...forever? _He closed his eyes and sighed softly, imagining what it would be like to be with Ray forever.

_That's just weird, _a voice in Dib's head muttered, _You're ten. You're a freaking ten-year-old, and you're in love with someone. That's sick. _Dib ignored the voice - he was focused on getting to Ray's house. True, it was a little weird to have a crush on someone when you were only ten years old, but oh, well.

Dib had absolutely no idea what it was like to love someone. The feeling was entirely new to him, and it was all very confusing. The paranormal investigator was still thinking about that as he approached Ray's house. He was very thankful that he had remembered how to get there.

Dib only had to knock on the door once. Just a few seconds after he did, Ray answered, but she looked a bit gloomier that usual. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, and a black jacket was wrapped around her shoulders. However, as soon as she saw Dib, her face lit up.

"Hello, Dib," Ray began cheerfully, "Sorry if...if it's kind of cold inside. It feels a little drafty today, for some odd reason." She opened the door a bit wider, and Dib stepped inside Ray's house for the first time in his entire ten-year-long life. It was like entering completely new territory.

Ray was right - the house was kind of cold. _Thank goodness I remembered my trenchcoat, _Dib thought. The house had an empty feeling to it - perhaps that was because Vir was sleeping in her room, which made the house a lot quieter. Although Ray looked a bit tired, happiness still shone in her dark eyes.

"So...what have you been doing lately?" she asked in an attempt to start a conversation. Dib didn't respond at first - he was busy looking around. The house was eerily serene, even though a video game was running on the television, currently on the pause menu.

"Nothing much," Dib admitted, too nervous to tell Ray about his feelings for her, "I took a walk in the park earlier, but other than that, I've pretty much spent my entire break just being sort of lazy." He laughed softly, and Ray laughed along with him. Her voice sounded a bit faint and far away.

"Same here," she confessed, smiling, "Zim came over yesterday, but other than that, I've spent all day today playing video games." She gestured slightly toward the video game system that sat below the television, just as silent as the rest of the house. It was a bit creepy.

"What did you two do yesterday?" Dib asked, taking a few steps closer to Ray. She picked up the television remote and turned the television off, leaving the video game running in case she wanted to play it later. Once that was done, she sat down on the couch and hugged her knees in an effort to warm up.

"Nothing much," Ray answered, "We went for a walk..." Dib sat down next to her, wondering if she was holding something back. She seemed a bit nervous - was that because she wasn't telling the complete truth? He had the feeling that she wasn't telling him everything, but he wasn't too sure.

"You're probably wondering if I'm lying to you, aren't you?" Ray asked, somehow reading Dib's mind. He blushed slightly and nodded. "I thought so," Ray continued, "To be precise, Zim and I went hiking...but mostly, all we did was talk. I told him a bit about where I came from."

"Oh," Dib responded, "I guess I was just being a little too paranoid." Ray laughed a little, and from then on, their conversation progressed normally. Dib was still anxious about telling Ray what his feelings for her truly were, but she wasn't putting any pressure on him.

A few minutes later, they were a bit more casual, discussing whatever came to their minds. "I have this feeling that a few of the boys from Skool have been staring at you," Dib remarked, "It's actually kind of funny. Maybe they all think you're cute, and they want to date you...or something."

"It doesn't matter now," Ray replied nonchalantly, "After all, Zim and I...well, we're going out now. He asked me yesterday, and I just had to agree." At first, Dib didn't really know what she was saying, but then it came to him in an abrupt wave of shock. _Zim is Ray's boyfriend now._

Dib froze as he realized what Ray meant. By "going out," she was referring to the fact that Zim was her boyfriend. They were...a couple now. Dib wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he got to his feet and walked away silently, leaving Ray behind him.

It took Ray a moment to figure out why Dib had gotten up and walked off. As soon as she solved the puzzle, she jumped up and got back on her feet. "Dib," she began, sounding slightly hurt, "Please...please come back. I'm sorry...about that. I'm...I'm sorry, Dib..."

Dib stopped walking and turned around, holding back tears as he stared into Ray's eyes. "There's no reason to be sorry," he choked out, finding it difficult to hold back tears and speak to Ray at the same time, "You and Zim are a couple now. I don't want to interrupt you two."

"Stop, Dib," Ray murmured, "Please." She took a few steps forward and gently took Dib's hand in hers. "Just because Zim and I are...going out...doesn't mean we can't be friends anymore. I still want to be your friend, Dib. Truly, I do. Can we still be friends, Dib?...Please?"

Dib turned around, blinking back tears, and realized that Ray was blinking back tears as well. He said nothing, but his expression told her one word that said it all: _Goodbye. _Ray looked away sadly, unable to stop herself from crying. She and Zim were together, but Dib...

Suddenly, Ray felt Dib's arms around her. She blinked in shock - Dib was hugging her. She didn't say anything - the words wouldn't come. Ray just stood there, locked in Dib's embrace, a wonderful feeling of peace and relaxation washing over her. It was almost like a dream.

_Oh, Dib, _Ray thought sadly, an aching pain cutting into her heart, _How can I do this? How can I...how can I ever tell you the truth?_


	14. Chapter 13: Togetherness

It was, according to the clock, about four PM, and Vir could safely say that she was nervous about her master. Both of them had basically spent all day doing nothing, but the sort of "nothing" Ray had been doing was a bit different. Whereas Vir had been running around and chasing her tail, Ray was a whole other matter.

The Irken invader was wandering around her house in complete silence. She had barely spoken all day, and four PM was no exception. Her antennae were pointed straight back and twitched every so often - she was deep in thought. There was a whole other world reflected in her ruby-red eyes.

_So...Zim and I are "going out," _Ray thought, _Whatever that term means. Okay, so we're something of a couple now, and Dib isn't happy about it. That much is obvious...but how can I tell him the truth? How can I tell him that I'm not really human...that I'm really Irken?_

_He probably won't even believe me, _Ray told herself dejectedly, _He's not going to believe me when I tell him that I'm a...well, I'm an alien. There, I said it. He won't believe Zim, and he won't believe me. That's final. _However, bringing Zim back into the picture made Ray think about things in a different perspective.

_Wait, _Ray thought, _Dib is...a paranormal investigator, right? Maybe my case will be a little more believable. And what about Zim? Maybe Dib already knows what Zim is. If only I could ask him and find out what's really going on with those two. _She found herself sighing quietly at this remark.

Ray sat on the edge of her bed, mind in a completely different location. _Thought is such a wonderful place, but it's so easy to get lost in it. _She absentmindedly ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, wishing she could think of a solution to the problem she had. However, there seemed to be none.

The door, which Ray had decided not to close, opened a bit wider, and Vir stepped in. "Hi, Vir," Ray told the small fox, voice a bit quieter than usual, "What's going on with you?" Vir sprang up onto the bed, pink tail swishing slightly, and lay there, next to her master. Ray couldn't help but smile a bit at her little acrobatic show.

"That's what I should be asking you, Master," the pink fox responded in a high-pitched voice, "You've been so quiet. Is something wrong?" Ray sighed and stroked Vir gently, as though hearing the fox talk was absolutely and happened often. Vir closed her eyes and let out a content purr-like sound.

"Yeah, there's something on my mind, but it's...it's about my friend Dib. Have I told you about him?" Although Vir knew she had heard about the ten-year-old boy who was apparently a paranormal investigator, she felt like she needed to hear a bit about him once again, and shook her head.

"Well," Ray began, "Dib is a paranormal investigator, and was my first friend here on Earth. However, from the start, I knew there was something strange going on between him and Zim. Apparently, they're worst enemies, because he didn't seem to like the thought that Zim and I are boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Maybe he likes you, Master," Vir pointed out, "I think you might have told me about Dib before. He might be jealous of Zim, Master." Ray paused for a moment, considering what Vir had said. She had once thought of the possibility of Dib being jealous of Zim, but she hadn't really paid much attention to that before.

"You have a point," Ray responded, "but..." Just then, the Irken invader was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Vir's eyes snapped open as she got up to answer it, but Ray stopped her. "I'll get it," she told the fox, rising from her position on the bed and leaving the room to answer the phone.

Ray paused for a moment to stare at the caller ID. She recognized it immediately - it was from a pay phone. She had a nagging feeling that she already knew who it was. However, she decided to act as though she was surprised. "Hello?" she asked casually, leaning up against the wall, "This is Ray."

Ray's assumption was correct. "Hi, Ray," Zim began, voice sounding quite nervous and a little shaky, "This is...this is Zim. Um, I was thinking earlier today, and I, um, wanted to ask...do you want to, um...oh, I don't know how to say this...okay. Would you like to go on a...a date...with me?"

Ray was thankful that Zim couldn't see her face - she was blushing heavily. "Um...what time?" she asked, sounding equally nervous. There was a pause on the other end - Zim probably hadn't thought of that beforehand. Vir watched from the doorway, listening in on their conversation.

"Would six be okay?" Zim asked, breaking the silence. A part of Ray's mind wondered why she had even bothered to ask. No matter what time it was, she was free for the rest of the night. Six sounded like a reasonable time - she would have enough time to prepare and enough time to play a video game in case she needed to relax.

"Yeah, definitely," Ray replied, beginning to calm down, "Um...so..." She couldn't think of a way to end the call. She was blushing again, and she had the feeling that Zim was doing the same thing. She wished she could ask him, but she felt much too shy to say anything.

"I'll come by to get you at six," Zim told Ray, ending the embarrassing moment she had been going through, "See you then." Ray could hear a faint clicking sound as Zim hung up. However, Ray didn't put the phone down just yet - she still held it up as though the call wasn't over.

"I love you, Zim." Ray whispered into the receiver before putting the phone down. Vir walked up to her then, rubbing up against her leg and still making that purr-like sound. "Aw, Vir, were you listening to that entire conversation?" Ray asked, unable to stop blushing.

"Yeah, I was," Vir replied cheerfully, "Master's got a boyfriend!" She dashed away and ran a few laps around the house. "Master has a boyfriend! Master has a boyfriend!" Ray watched the little fox race around, wondering where in the world she had obtained so much energy.

"I guess you could say I do," the Irken invader remarked, rocking back and forth on her heels absentmindedly, "I'm going to go get ready now, okay? I should be done in about fifteen minutes." Vir yipped happily in response as Ray walked away to prepare for her date with Zim.

...

Zim paused to adjust his hairpiece before ringing the doorbell of Ray's house. He was beginning to wonder why he had waited until six to go to her house, but then decided that it was because normal humans seemed to have their dinner at around six.

Although he had been expecting her to answer the door, Zim still recoiled slightly when he saw Ray. She was in her human disguise, although she was wearing her standard Irken uniform instead of the more human-looking one. Her dark hair tumbled past her shoulders as she stepped forward.

"Hello, Zim!" Ray began happily, "It's so nice to see you." She lightly jumped onto the next step and gave Zim a quick hug, making him blush rather immediately. "Oh, by the way, Vir wanted to know if Gir could come over tonight and play around while we were gone."

Zim considered this for a few seconds. "Sounds okay to me," he responded, taking out a small communicator from his PAK and punching a number into it, "Gir? Can you hear me, Gir?" A tiny screen opened up, and Ray watched as a little picture of the green dog appeared on it.

"Can you come over to Ray's house right now?" Zim asked, "Vir's here." In an instant, Gir saluted and the screen folded back into the device. Zim put the device back into his PAK and turned to face Ray again. "Gir should probably be here in a few minutes," he told her.

Ray bounced back up the steps and opened the door slightly. "Vir!" she called, "Gir should be here in a few minutes." Zim heard a yelp of joy from within the house as Ray closed the door and went back down, now standing next to Zim. "So...where are we going tonight, Invader Zim?" she asked.

"You can choose," Zim responded, nervously taking her hand in his, "I don't really care where we go, since I'm not all that hungry anyway." To his surprise, Ray only giggled softly and walked off. Due to the fact that he was still holding her hand, Zim couldn't help but follow her.

"I think it's natural for our kind not to require much food," Ray stated, "I'm not all that hungry either, but how about that nice place by the river?" Zim paused for a moment, wondering what restaurant that was. Suddenly, it came to him as he ran over the list of restaurants he knew in his mind.

"You mean Ocean Waves?" Zim asked, hoping he was correct and that he hadn't just embarrassed himself. He was relieved when Ray nodded and slowed down a bit, now walking next to him. Her dark hair blew slightly in the breeze as they walked, hand in hand.

"I've never seen the ocean before, you know," Zim remarked, staring off into the distance, "Maybe it's because of my water allergy, but even then, we don't live anywhere close to an ocean..." Ray smiled a bit, listening as Zim's voice trailed off when he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Same here," Ray replied, "I've had nightmares about the humans realizing I have that darn water allergy." Zim only nodded - he had been through the same thing before. "Maybe we can go to the ocean someday," Ray murmured wistfully, "Maybe I can take you to the beach."

Zim blushed. "A-are you serious?" he stuttered nervously, "You m-mean...we could actually go someday?" Zim hadn't been planning for the future at all - he was strictly confined to the present. Although Ray was usually the same way, she seemed to be thinking differently that evening.

"Of course we could," Ray answered, "After all, there's no point in 'breaking up' if we already know each other's darkest secrets, right? There's no way we're going to reveal those secrets to the rest of the world." Zim laughed, realizing that Ray did make some sense.

The two of them arrived at Ocean Waves about ten minutes later. They had spent the entire time laughing and talking about whatever came to their minds, and now they were standing in front of the restaurant, which bore a slight resemblance to some sort of seaside shack.

"Welcome to Ocean Waves," the young woman who was standing in front of the building told Zim and Ray, "How many seats will you need for a table?" She looked genuinely interested in what the two Irken invaders were doing, which surprised Zim. He thought most humans never cared about his affairs.

"Just two," Zim told the woman. The woman scribbled something down on the clipboard she was carrying. Ray watched, wishing she would stop fidgeting. She was a bit nervous - after all, she had never gone on a date before. However, neither had Zim, so it was a new experience for both of them.

"Oh, so it's a dinner date, huh?" the woman asked, smiling pleasantly, "Follow me." Ray, noticing that Zim was too overcome with anxiousness to move, gently grasped his arm and pulled him along. They found themselves walking through a very crowded room - Ocean Waves was quite the popular place. Zim was overcome with amazement and couldn't stop looking around. He had never seen a room with so many people in it.

"Is an outside table okay with you?" the woman asked over the dissonant roar of the crowd. Although Zim didn't seem to hear her, Ray did. Realizing that her voice probably wasn't going to be heard above all of the noise, she only nodded. The woman seemed to get the message.

"All right, then," she responded, "This way." Ray and Zim followed the woman throughout the room until they finally reached a sort of balcony. Eight tables were positioned around it, overlooking the river below. Ray let out a small gasp as she viewed the area around her.

"This table is open," the woman told Ray, gesturing toward one of the tables that was closer to the river. Ray nodded to show her approval and sat down. Zim sat across from her, still a bit mesmerized in the world around him. Ray grabbed his hand from across the table, which brought him back to Earth.

"Oh, hi," Zim began nervously, blushing again, "Sorry about that...I just...I've never been in a place like this before." Ray smiled, mouthing a quick thank-you as the woman placed two menus on the table and darted back into the building, immersing herself within the crowd.

"It's perfectly fine, Zim," Ray replied calmly, "Besides, you don't see things the same way everyone else does. Everything the humans take for granted is so...so remarkably different through your eyes, isn't it?" Zim nodded, having never thought of things that way before.

"They look at you differently as well," Ray pointed out, staring into Zim's gray eyes, "To them, you're just a kid with a bad skin condition. To me, you're...well, you're the best friend an Irken invader like me could ever have." Zim couldn't help but smile at this remark.

"So, um, what do you want to order?" he asked, completely changing the subject, "I know neither of us are very hungry, so maybe we could just...split an appetizer or something?" Ray paused, having been too busy reading her menu for a moment, but then nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Ray responded, "After all, you probably have allergies to a lot of the food here, right?" Zim didn't say anything to that at first. He had almost forgotten about his abundance of allergies to human food. He had finally remembered the pain he had gone through from eating the wrong thing.

"Stupid allergies," Zim muttered, "I had almost forgotten about them." Ray laughed and pointed to one of the menus, basically telling him he could choose what they ordered. After a minute of decision, Zim came to a conclusion. "Hey, Ray?" he asked, a bit nervously, "What's a 'salad?'"

Ray couldn't stop herself from giggling. "A salad is...well, it's like a mixture of lettuce, carrots...things like that." Zim considered this for a moment, wondering whether it sounded good or not. "Should we get a salad, then?" Ray asked. Zim was certain that if she wasn't wearing her disguise, her antennae would be twitching.

"Sure," Zim replied with a quick grin, "It doesn't sound like it'll make me sick or anything." Ray couldn't help but laugh at this remark. The next time the woman came around, they ordered a somewhat-large salad between them, which they finished off rather quickly.

"I'll pay for this," Ray told Zim automatically, "Don't worry, it doesn't cost very much." Zim, who had spent the past few minutes absentmindedly twirling a spoon around in his fingers, hadn't considered the need to pay before. However, it seemed as though Ray had taken care of it.

"If you insist on that..." Zim murmured, staring off into the distance, "but this means I owe you something, doesn't it? If you're paying for dinner, I probably owe you something now." The spoon fell back onto the table with a clattering noise, and that was when Ray spoke up.

"Yeah, you owe me," Ray answered, "but I'd like some advice about something." Her expression suddenly became a bit serious. "I have a really bad feeling about how things are going with Dib. He came to my house yesterday, and...he wasn't too happy about our relationship."

"Here's where the problem comes in. You see, he doesn't know anything about me being...well, Irken, and I'm really nervous about telling him. So, first - does Dib already know that you're and Irken invader? And second - how am I ever going to tell him the truth?"

"Hmm..." Zim began, unable to look away from Ray's dark-eyed gaze, "Well, Dib already knows that I'm Irken, so maybe the initial shock will be dulled a bit. Perhaps you should wait a few days before telling Dib who you really are...you know, to let the news about us being boyfriend and girlfriend sink in."

"That sounds great!" Ray cried happily, "You're a genius, Zim!" Zim couldn't help but blush at this remark. The next few minutes, like the ones they had spent before they had arrived at Ocean Waves, were spent discussing whatever random things came into their heads.

...

"Thanks again, Zim," Ray told the Irken invader walking next to her for the third time, "That was...that was magical." After their dinner, Ray and Zim had raced each other home. However, halfway through, Zim had used his PAK to get ahead, which Ray considered cheating.

"You're welcome," Zim replied, "I...I had a lot of fun. I'm...really happy to be in a relationship with you." Ray grinned, revealing her zipper-like teeth for a split-second, and took Zim's hand in hers. The two of them walked back down the sidewalk toward Ray's house as the sky around them grew darker.

"Nighttime already?" Zim asked, staring up at the star-filled sky, "That was quick." It had certainly felt quick to the two Irken invaders - the full moon had already risen, and the sky was a beautiful shade of dark blue. They were already near Ray's house due to the race making them go faster.

"I guess so," Ray responded, also staring up at the sky, "but it's very nice out." She looked down then - her house was about fifteen feet away. "Do you want to come in for a while?" Ray asked, rushing up to the door and holding it open slightly. Zim nodded and followed her inside.

However, as soon as Zim took one step forward, Ray held him back with one arm. "Shh!" she whispered, "Don't make any sudden moves. I think...I think something's going on in the other room!" Zim, who was a bit confused about the whole ordeal, couldn't help but peer over Ray's shoulder to see what was going on.

Gir and Vir were both on the couch and facing each other head-on. Vir was standing, which was unlike her - she normally went around on all-fours. "So..." Gir began, sounding quite nervous, "you've probably already noticed that I...I can talk...right?" Zim gasped silently - Gir's cover had just been blown.

"Yeah," Vir responded, making Ray equally shocked, "I can talk, too. I guess that means...I'm not an ordinary fox." She looked away then, probably too nervous to look into Gir's eyes. However, the little green dog tapped her on her shoulder to get her attention again.

"It's all right," Gir reassured her, "I'm not an ordinary dog. Master will probably get really angry at me for this, but..." Ray froze as Gir unzipped his dog costume and removed the hood. The face of a SIR robot appeared, with remarkably bright blue eyes that seemed to glow.

Vir unzipped her costume and removed her hood as well. Before Gir stood a SIR robot that highly resembled him. She was exactly his height, but the little radar on the top of her head was shaped like a diamond instead of a circle. Her entire body design was a bit pointier, as though she was designed for offensive moves. Her eyes were a bright red color, unlike Gir's. Gir and Vir were both SIR robots - ironically, they were both dysfunctional as well.

"You're...you're..." Vir stuttered, "...a robot. Like me..." Gir took one step forward and embraced her before she could say anything else. A very faint blush shone on Vir's metal skin as she returned the hug. The two SIR robots seemed completely relaxed, mesmerized in each other's touch.

"I...I don't understand this," Gir murmured, "I think I'm...in love with you, Vir." Ray watched them, covering her mouth with one hand to prevent herself from saying something and interrupting Gir and Vir. Vir, still blushing, didn't say anything at first, but then spoke up.

"I love you too, Gir," the female SIR robot replied, "I just...I just didn't realize it until now." That was when Ray decided it would be best to enter the SIR robots' field of vision. As soon as she stepped forward, Gir and Vir noticed her and separated, standing up straight.

"There's no need to do that," Ray told them, "I'm not going to laugh or anything. It's okay. Besides, you two look absolutely adorable." Gir and Vir were both blushing, and once they were sure that Ray approved of it, they sat down and returned to their embrace.

"Hey, Zim?" Ray began, watching as Zim entered the room, "There's something I want to show you. Come with me." Ray walked off and down a hallway that Zim had never noticed before. Gir and Vir watched as Zim walked down that hallway, a bit curious and a bit nervous at the same time.

The hallway was actually quite short, and led to a set of stairs. Both Ray and Zim went up these stairs, although Zim still wasn't sure where they were going. The room they ended up in was quite small, with a set of glass doors covering most of one of the walls. Ray opened one of these doors, gesturing for Zim to go through.

Cool, night air hit Zim's face as he stepped out onto what appeared to be a balcony. The full moon was visible above a canopy of trees, and the stars were shining like tiny pinpoints of light in a world of darkness. Zim was in shock, mesmerized by their beauty and unable to speak.

The Irken invader didn't notice Ray removing her disguise until he thought he saw her ruby-red eyes glinting in the very corner of his field of vision. Thinking it didn't matter if someone saw them or not, he removed his disguise as well, antennae twitching as they were exposed to the night.

Zim felt Ray take his hand. "I didn't think I would use this balcony for anything at first," she admitted, "but then again, that was before I thought I would...have someone in this world to share all of this beauty with." Her hand swept across the balcony, showcasing the world around her.

"This world _is _beautiful, isn't it?" Zim asked quietly, "You can't get much more beautiful than your special meadow. This balcony makes me feel like I'm in a whole other world. The forests around here are absolutely gorgeous...but none of them can compare to the most beautiful thing in the universe..._you._"

Zim took both of Ray's hands in his. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening - it was as though some mysterious, otherworldly force had come over him. He was remarkably close to her now, inches away from her large, ethereal-looking eyes, and..._he leaned in and kissed her._

Neither Ray nor Zim had kissed anyone before. They had seen it happen - Ray had been entranced, and Zim had been disgusted - so they were basing what they knew off of what they had seen. The feeling of passion between them was intense...intense like the magma of a volcano and the flames of an inferno.

The moment didn't evanesce immediately - it lingered, while Invader Ray and Invader Zim kissed on the balcony. It was a glorious, beautiful moment, and both of them were sure they would never forget it for as long as they lived. This was what it felt like...to be with someone. To be together...

Eventually, Zim's arms were wrapped around Ray's shoulders, pulling her closer. She didn't object - she stayed with him, continued to kiss him. Neither Ray nor Zim noticed the two dysfunctional SIR robots that were standing behind the glass doors, watching their first kiss in awe and amazement.


	15. Chapter 14: Don't Want to Tell

When Zim woke up, he was abruptly reminded of the day he had first confessed his love for Ray. He could see the sky from his bedroom window, and it was the same shade of pale gray that it had been on that wonderful day. Even the clouds were the same - a bit sad-looking, but Zim wasn't depressed at all.

Unlike that day, however, only one bird was singing. That bird's voice sounded quiet and defeated, and its song was mournful. Zim looked away from the window, finding a rather sudden interest in the floor. The bird's tone was beginning to remind him of a funeral.

_I can't possibly be sad, _Zim thought, beginning to pace around his bedroom, _After all, didn't Ray and I...yes, we did. We...we kissed last night. Is it just that bird's song that's making me feel bad? Or is it...something else? _His mind began to wander off, trying to figure out why he didn't feel all that great.

Suddenly, an image of a certain person popped into Zim's head. He was short, about Zim's height. A pair of thick glasses. Brown eyes. Somewhat-pale skin. Black hair that resembled the blade of a scythe. Black trenchcoat. Abnormally large head. Obsession with all things paranormal.

"Dib," Zim hissed darkly, "Of _course _I'm thinking about you. You just _have _to be Ray's stupid friend. I understand Ray's need to bring your name into our conversation last night, since she had to ask me something, but why are you such a pest? Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"For once in my life, there's someone in this world who actually likes me. She enjoys my company and likes being with me. She actually _loves _me, and I love her back. Why are you _intruding _on our relationship, Dib Membrane? WHY?" Anger overcame Zim, and he found himself stomping around instead of pacing.

_Stupid Dib, _he thought irritably, _Stupid, stupid, stupid. _Zim's mind flashed back to the days in which his temper was a little out-of-control. Ever since Ray had come into his life, he had managed to calm himself down, but now Dib was really starting to irk him...perhaps even more than he usually did.

Zim's antennae twitched as he tried to calm himself down. _Relax, _a rational voice in his head murmured, _You'll just hurt yourself if you let your anger take over. Why don't you do something with Ray today? Won't that help you relax a little, Zim? You want to calm down, don't you?_

_Shut up, _Zim told the voice, _She'll just talk about Dib again. She'll just talk about the world's most annoying paranormal investigator. _Zim sat down on his bed and buried his face in his hands. He wished he could talk to Ray, but he didn't want her to bring Dib into the conversation and aggravate him.

A part of Zim's mind started teasing him, showing him what would happen if his temper went out-of-control again. Zim hissed through clenched teeth as he thought of Ray saying, "If you're going to be like that, maybe we just shouldn't be together anymore," and storming away from him.

Just then, Zim's anger was interrupted by a soft, high-pitched voice. "...Master?" Gir asked quietly, pushing the door open and stepping inside without his disguise, "Are you okay?" To Gir, it looked like Zim was having some sort of spasm, although he could never really figure out what was going on inside the Irken invader's head.

Zim looked up and tried to manage a small smile. "I'm fine," he responded, "I'm just...a little angry, that's all." Zim knew in the back of his mind that saying that he was just a little angry was quite the understatement, but he didn't want to upset Gir. The little SIR robot skipped up to him and sat down next to him.

"I heard you saying something, Master," Gir began, "Were you talking about...Dib?" Zim sighed and nodded. Gir tilted his head slightly, wondering why his master was so angry. He hadn't seen Zim looking that aggravated since before Ray had come into his life and changed everything.

"Ray brought him up last night," Zim explained, staring into Gir's bright blue eyes and trying to remain calm, "He's obviously mad at me for being Ray's boyfriend. She wanted to know when she could tell him that she's an Irken invader. You _do _know that Ray is Irken, right?"

"Yeah," Gir replied understandingly, "And Vir is her SIR robot. Last night, she asked me if I would be her boyfriend...I said yes, Master. I think...I think I really like Vir. She's nice, Master. I like her." Although Zim knew that Gir was going off-topic, he couldn't help but smile.

"The thing is, Gir," Zim continued, getting to his feet and beginning to pace again, "Dib is most likely jealous of me. Plus, Ray keeps bringing him up every time we start talking about something. I don't want to blow up in her face over it, but Dib keeps really irritating me."

"Don't worry, Master," Gir told Zim, watching the Irken invader walk across the bedroom floor, "Maybe you just need some time to think about things. I'm pretty sure that things will work out in the end, Master." Zim cast a quick glance over at Gir before turning to face the door.

"You're probably right," Zim responded, "I guess I just need a little time to think. I'm...going to go for a walk now. You can do whatever you want while I'm gone, okay?" Gir nodded, watching as his master left the room, leaving the door open as he did, for some odd reason.

As soon as Gir was out of earshot, Zim angrily slapped his forehead. _What the heck? _he told himself, _Why would I say something stupid like that? I don't need time to think! I..._The more rational part of Zim's mind took over then, letting him relax and think in a more sensible manner.

_Maybe you _do _just need some time to think, _the voice assured Zim, _This is only about Dib. You could probably handle it rather easily with just a little time to collect your thoughts. You just need somewhere to go. _Zim leaned up against the nearest wall, antennae twitching slightly as he thought about this.

_I...I suppose so, _he thought, _but where should I go? _He ran over a list of places in his head, but none of them had the sort of feel he was looking for. He wanted to relax - he needed somewhere calm, natural...beautiful. However, he couldn't think of anywhere that fit that description.

Suddenly, an idea came to Zim. _What if I go to the meadow? _he thought, _I think I still know the way...and I don't think Ray will mind if I go alone. After all, right now, I think I just need to be alone and collect my thoughts. _He couldn't help but sigh peacefully now that he knew where to go.

Before leaving, Zim made sure to put on his human disguise, just in case someone noticed him. Ray seemed to be a bit more lax about this - he recalled how she had stood in front of her house without her disguise. Anyone could've seen her then...she had been taking quite the risk.

There was a slight chill in the air, but not enough of one to stop Zim from reaching his destination. He wanted to calm down and stop thinking about Dib. _Maybe I can hang out with Ray later tonight, _he told himself, _By then, I probably won't be so aggravated about Dib._

Zim found it a bit ironic how the only entrance to the meadow that he knew of was behind Ray's house. His feet felt unusually light as he approached it, wondering if she was home. He was about thirteen feet away from it when he stopped abruptly, remembering why he was here in the first place.

_I'm just passing through, _Zim reminded himself, _I'm just here to...to go to the meadow. I'm not here to see Ray. _A part of his mind, overcome with a desire to see her, wasn't going to give up until it got what it wanted, but Zim ignored it, pushing his legs onward in an effort to get past the house without giving in.

The path to the meadow was just as beautiful as before, if not even better. Zim was practically skipping down it, feeling completely free. He felt like he could just spread wings and fly away, like a bird, somewhere into the open sky. He could almost hear the sound of his wings beating.

The sky was a bit darker than it had been the day Zim had gone to the meadow with Ray. Zim had the feeling that the sun would be obscured by clouds - maybe that was why it was a bit colder around him. That cold air wasn't going to stop Zim, however, and neither was the absence of the sun.

When he reached the cliff that told him he wasn't very far away from the meadow, Zim was already prepared. The spider-like metal legs shot out from Zim's PAK, digging into the ground with a faint crunching noise and shooting him up about seven feet into the air.

The legs gradually leaned forward, and Zim's feet touched the top of the cliff silently while the legs retracted into the glowing device that was affixed onto his back. Zim felt astonishingly graceful - there was something about the movement of the metallic legs that seemed so otherworldly, so...lovely.

Zim made his way through a thin blanket of leaves and found himself standing in Ray's special place. The sky was covered in clouds, preventing Zim from seeing the sun, but it didn't really matter to him. The soft green grass swayed gently in the breeze, as though it was welcoming him.

Zim eagerly removed his disguise, antennae twitching freely, and took a few steps forward. "Hello," he whispered happily, eyes wide with joy as he viewed the world around him. Dib was in the back of his mind now, currently forgotten. Zim could only think of how beautiful the meadow was.

Zim began to walk around, feeling extremely peaceful. He wasn't alone - he was with the spirit of the meadow, and it was everywhere. It was all around him...the feelings of joy, happiness..._acceptance. _Zim wasn't sure what it was about this place that made him feel so wonderful.

However, it was then that he saw her. She was lying in the grass, eyes closed. She was completely still - even her antennae were unmoving. Although her dark hair blew slightly in the wind, she didn't seem to notice it. Her hands were against her chest, clutching a small, lavender flower.

_Ray._

...

Zim took a few steps closer to the Irken invader. The way she was lying - on her back, perfectly still, flower against her chest - made it look like she was dead. He knew she wasn't dead, though...the way her chest was steadily rising and falling made that obvious.

As Zim approached, Ray remained still, as though she couldn't even hear his footsteps. _Maybe she really can't, _Zim thought, _Maybe she's...no, of course she's not. _Although he knew Ray couldn't possibly be dead, he was still a little paranoid about whether she was alive or not.

Zim wondered what to say to her if he woke her up. Would he make some sort of silly remark? Would he say something romantic? He had no idea what to say to her, and for a moment, he had the fleeting thought of deserting her and leaving, just so she wouldn't ever know he was there.

However, he just couldn't help himself. Zim walked up to Ray and knelt down next to her. She still didn't seem to notice him - she remained in the same position, still holding the same, beautiful flower. Zim reached out and, unable to stop himself, gently touched the top of her head.

Ray's eyes flickered open. She didn't say anything at first, and her expression was unreadable. Zim had no idea what she thought of him at that very moment, so he had to guess. He managed a warm smile, noticing that due to the absence of the sun, Ray's eyes weren't glowing.

"...Hi," Zim began shyly, "What are you...what are you doing here?" Ray didn't smile, but she sat up rather gracefully, hair beginning to really blow in the breeze. Her hands dropped to the ground, supporting her and still holding the flower. Her antennae pointed forward, and so did Zim's.

"I needed a bit of time to think," Ray explained calmly, "but I guess it's not working, because...I don't feel any better, and I haven't made any new decisions." She sighed quietly, staring directly into Zim's ruby-red eyes. "I haven't done anything...all I've done is lie here and look like a dead person."

"You scared me for a moment," Zim admitted, switching to a sitting position, "You can do a convincing impersonation." He was still smiling, hoping he could spread a bit of his good mood. However, it didn't seem to be working, because Ray wasn't smiling, and her eyes showed no spark of happiness.

"I wasn't trying to impersonate anyone," Ray muttered seriously, "I was just...thinking, and..." All of a sudden, she buried her face in her hands, lavender flower falling onto the grass. Zim was taken aback at his - this wasn't the Ray he knew. Where was her usual cheerfulness?

"Ray..." Zim murmured, putting his arm around her shoulders, "What's wrong, Ray? Is...is this about...Dib?" He didn't want to say the name of his worst enemy - he had spent the past few minutes trying to eliminate him from his head - but he felt like this was for Ray's sake.

However, Ray said nothing. She didn't look up, and her face was still buried in her hands. Suddenly, Zim heard her making an odd noise. He couldn't place it at first, but then her hands dropped to her sides, and he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. Ray was crying.

"...Y-yes," she stuttered sadly, "it's...it's about Dib." Suddenly, she let out a sob. Tears were pouring down her cheeks now, and Zim knew what was going to happen a split-second before it did. There was a faint hissing sound as her water allergy kicked in and began to burn her Irken skin.

Ray whimpered in pain, but couldn't stop crying. She was in pain - not just physically, but mentally as well. Even though Zim had given her advice about how to deal with telling Dib the night before, it didn't seem to be helping her. There was something else on her mind, but she just couldn't place it.

"Shh...it's okay," Zim assured her, "It's going to be all right." He gave her a hopeful look, thinking that it could possibly cheer her up somewhat, but Ray's mood didn't change. She was still sobbing relentlessly, steam rising from her skin as it burned due to her water allergy.

"It's...it's not going t-to be okay!" Ray cried, abruptly finding it a bit hard to speak, "How can I...h-how can I possibly tell Dib without m-messing it up? Zim, what's wrong with me?" Zim couldn't believe what his antennae were sensing - Ray was beginning to fray around the edges.

"Nothing's wrong with you, Ray," Zim told his girlfriend, voice wavering slightly, "You're absolutely perfect...and I love you." A sudden impulse took over, and Zim found himself wrapping his arms around her. Ray didn't object to this, but flinched a little due to how unexpected it was.

"I...I love you, t-too," she managed to choke out, letting herself fall into Zim's embrace. Zim cringed as her tears came into contact with his skin, causing the worst physical pain he had felt in quite a while, but it didn't matter - after all, he was comforting Ray.

"Breathe, Ray," Zim almost-whispered, noticing how shaky Ray's breathing was, "Inhale...exhale." Ray took a few deep breaths and let her respiration ease back into its normal pattern. Her antennae were drooping in front of her face, and her skin was tear-stained and in a bit of pain, but she was starting to feel better.

"Do you feel any better now?" Zim asked softly, running his fingers through Ray's dark hair. Ray sat up a little and nodded hesitantly before falling into his arms again. Zim had never had to comfort someone like this before - it was completely new to him. Perhaps it was because he had never seen someone cry so hard before.

"...I'm sorry," Ray admitted after a few moments of calming herself down and lying in Zim's arms, "It's just...I don't think Dib should have to go through all of this. I mean, he's only a human...right? Most of them seem to be pretty fragile, and just looking at Dib makes me think of glass."

"He's durable, Ray," Zim replied coolly, "He'll survive. Trust me...we've fought so many times in the past. After all, we're bitter enemies." There was a slight smile on his face as he said this, although his thoughts were much, much darker. Visions of his countless fights with Dib were floating around in his head.

"You said he knows about our kind, right?" Ray asked, "Does that mean that he's the only one? Is there anyone else who could...blow our cover?" Zim paused for a moment, wondering if there were any other humans who had seen him without his disguise and who actually counted as threats.

"I think the only other human is Dib's sister," the Irken invader answered, "but she just...accepts us. She doesn't do anything. I don't think she really cares." Ray nodded to show that she understood. "Her name is Gaz - stay away from her. Although she doesn't care about what we are, she _will _hurt you if you get too close."

"Good to know," Ray commented, "but...are you sure this won't hit Dib too hard? I don't want to knock him off his feet by telling him too early. I know I ended up knocking _you _out, but..." Zim laughed quietly, recalling the moment he had first seen Ray without her human disguise.

"He should be fine," Zim told Ray, "He might be in shock for a while, but it'll probably subside. I'm just wondering if he'll...drop out of our lives after that. You know I don't care, but I guess it might matter to you." Ray looked up at the cloudy sky for a moment before responding.

"It does matter," Ray murmured, "After all, Dib was my first friend here...even before I met you. I owe him for being so nice to me." The more Ray thought about this, the more nervous she got. There was something about Dib that was making her mind act a little off, and she wasn't sure what it was.

"Hm...makes sense," Zim remarked, "and I'm beginning to wonder about what will happen if he _does _drop out of our lives. I honestly don't think Dib has much of a life, so maybe he'll be forced to return to trying to expose me for who I really am. Maybe he'll even start to try to expose you."

Ray recoiled slightly. "No way," she muttered, "Dib's my friend. He wouldn't do that...would he?" Just thinking of Dib screaming at her that she wasn't a human made Ray cringe. What was it about Dib that was making her so anxious...and yet, so _relaxed? _A part of her mind was on cloud nine just thinking about him.

_There's something about this situation that doesn't make sense, _Ray thought nervously, _Why do I feel like this? Am I just worried about revealing myself to Dib? Or does this...does this cut much deeper than I realized? This feeling can't be what I think it is, can it?_

_Zim is an entirely different matter than Dib. Why do I keep mixing up my feelings for them? After all, Zim is...my boyfriend, and Dib is just...well, what is he? What does he mean to me? Could I be...is this..._Just then, her thoughts were cut off by Zim tapping her shoulder.

"Ray?" he asked worriedly, "Hello? Are you okay, Ray?" Ray's antennae twitched, now pointing forward. Thoughts about Dib were still ravaging her attention span, and she almost forgot that she was with Zim for a moment. She exhaled quietly and managed a small nod.

"I'm fine," Ray replied quickly, "I was just...lost in thought." In order to distract herself from thinking about Dib, Ray finally returned Zim's comforting embrace, feeling very thankful for his coolness in the current situation. Zim sighed peacefully, antennae flinching just a little.

"Do you know when you're going to tell Dib who you really are?" he asked, finding himself remarkably close to Ray. Ray paused, having not really thought about this beforehand. In the end, she decided to set a certain time for herself and stick with it so she wouldn't back out at the last minute.

"Tomorrow," Ray concluded, "I'll tell him tomorrow." Zim nodded in response, too lost in Ray's ruby-red eyes for words for a few moments. What was it about Ray that made him feel so alive? Why did she make him feel like the two of them were connected by destiny, never to be separated?

"That sounds like a good choice," Zim whispered. He lifted the lavender flower Ray had held only a little while ago from its position on the grass and gently affixed it next to Ray's right antennae. Ray blushed right afterward, and that was when he let his desire for her take over.

Ray hadn't expected Zim to kiss her, but she immediately kissed him back. The same intense feelings of passion that both of them had felt the night before returned, and so did their closeness. Zim kept Ray in a relaxed grip, never wanting to let her go and face the rest of the world.

"Zim..." Ray gasped breathlessly, "Zim, I..." She didn't have time to finish whatever she was about to say, because that was when Zim kissed her again and abruptly silenced her. The grass swayed around them, and Ray's hair blew in the wind. It looked exactly like a scene from a romantic movie.

However, unlike those scenes from romantic movies and vampire novels, Ray couldn't stop thinking about someone else. That someone else was, unfortunately for her, Dib. She couldn't get him out of her head - she felt like she was so close to uncovering her actual thoughts about him.

_Dib, I...I just don't know anymore. I think I've figured it out again, but then I realize that half the pieces of the puzzle are missing. Dib, there's something I need to ask you. Zim can't answer my question, and I have to turn to you. You're the only one who can answer the one question that won't leave my mind._

_Is it possible to love two people? I hope so, because...I love you, Dib Membrane._


	16. Chapter 15: Crying for You

"...Master?" Vir began nervously, glancing up at the clock hanging on the nearest wall, "Don't you have to leave for Skool in a few minutes?" Her bright red eyes were glowing in the semi-darkness of the early morning. Combined with the cloudy skies and humid air, the world looked downright depressing.

"I know, I know, I have to leave for Skool soon," Ray replied exasperatedly, "Just...just let me finish this." Ray had woken up that morning feeling scatterbrained and clumsy - she hadn't even put on her disguise yet. Her ruby-red eyes, which were easily recognizable without contacts, never darted away from the piece of paper in front of her. Her antennae twitched constantly as her left hand, which was firmly gripping a pencil, sped across the page.

"What are you drawing, Master?" Vir asked curiously, peering at the piece of paper from across the kitchen table. Ray's pencil made an elaborate curve right then, sweeping horizontally across the paper in a way so the dysfunctional SIR robot couldn't see what she was drawing. However, it wasn't intentional.

"Is that...Dib?" Vir asked, guessing because of Dib's scythe-like hair having a similar curve to the one Ray had just drawn. Ray didn't respond at first, but stopped drawing for a moment to think about what her robotic servant had said. True, it _was _Dib...but why was she drawing him?

Ever since the day before when Ray had realized the truth about her feelings for Dib, she couldn't stop thinking about him. Zim wouldn't leave her head either, although Dib was always the top priority. This irked Ray, who wished that she could just think about Zim and get Dib out of her thoughts.

Ray looked down at the curve she had just drawn. That curve was even more beautiful to her than a newly-made instrument could be to a professional musician. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, envisioning Dib Membrane, the ten-year-old paranormal investigator who she had somehow developed a crush on.

_Stop that, _a voice in Ray's head commanded, _Why aren't you thinking about Zim? You know that if he found out about your feelings for Dib, he would probably seek revenge against you. You would probably be dead in less than a week. Face it - Zim knows revenge better than anyone._

_Shut up, _Ray responded, _I know that. Hasn't Zim gotten his revenge on Dib too many times to count? As far as I know, Dib is still alive. Plus, Dib is a human...an innocent, fragile human. He's a ten-year-old human who has managed to survive Zim's revenge so many times before._

_Yes, but..._the voice began, obviously trying to bring her back to Zim. However, she blotted the voice out of her mind and finished the elegant curve on the piece of paper, continuing her drawing of the first friend she had ever made on Earth. Vir watched her, question still unanswered, although she had a pretty good idea of who Ray was drawing by now. Ray was intensely focused on the picture, not bothering to look up until after she had finished it.

Once she had, Vir was beginning to get a little frantic. "Master?" she asked, voice wavering just a bit, "I think you need to leave for Skool..." Ray put her pencil down as her gaze shot up to the wall clock. Normally, she would've left her house and started her walk to Skool about forty-five seconds before.

"Oh, great," Ray muttered, "I...I'm going to be late!" Ray sprang up and got to her feet, removing her contacts and spray can from her PAK as quickly as she possibly could. Vir watched as she covered her green skin with the aerosol, immediately looking less like an Irken invader and more like a human being. At the same time, her uniform seemed to change, compressing itself into a more human-looking outfit, and her PAK became a shade of jet-black.

It took Ray a few seconds to put her contacts on, but only because she blinked at the wrong time...and it was painful. "Ow!" Ray cried, flinching and immediately covering her eye with one hand, "Oww! Stupid, stupid contact lens!" She slipped it on just a little while later, but it still hurt a bit.

The last thing Ray did was run a hand through her hair, as though she was trying to smooth it out. As she did this, her antennae fell backwards, becoming practically invisible within her dark brown waves. Although her hair looked just a little messy, Ray's human disguise was now complete.

"See you later, Vir!" Ray called, "I have to go!" She darted out of the house then, with her dysfunctional SIR robot watching her. Vir said nothing - she was only half-focused on her master's antics. Another part of her mind was solely focused on seeing Gir sometime that day.

Ray let out a sigh of relief as her feet touched the sidewalk. _At least I'm out of my house now, _she told herself, _Now all I need to do is get to Skool...on time...and preferably without running into Dib. After all, what I need to do now is stop thinking about how I'm going to tell him the truth..._

There were several trees near Ray as she walked to Skool, although they were perfectly still due to the lack of a breeze. One tree in particular was different from the others, but it wasn't because of the tree itself. As a matter of fact, aside from the one thing that made it different, the tree was nothing special.

When Ray walked past this tree, she was rather suddenly ambushed. Someone she couldn't recognize at first jumped out from behind it and abruptly crashed into her. At first, she wasn't sure who it was, but then she felt the attacker's arms wrap around her, and she immediately figured it out.

Ray paused for a moment to steady herself before staring into the gray eyes of her attacker. "Good morning, Ray!" Zim cried excitedly, looking absolutely ecstatic. He didn't seem to notice that his..._unique_...display of affection had scared Ray out of her wits before she figured out who it was.

"Good morning, Zim," Ray replied happily after a few seconds of nervous laughter, "Does this mean you want to walk to Skool with me?" Zim nodded cheerfully and released his girlfriend, simply holding her hand as their walk began. His joy seemed to emanate from all around him.

"Okay, I have to ask you this, Zim," Ray told the Irken invader walking beside her, "Were you _planning _that ambush all along?" She blinked, and for a moment, she could see Zim's beautiful crimson eyes staring straight into hers. She felt herself blush just as Zim laughed lightheartedly.

"Yeah, I sure was!" he answered airily, unable to stop smiling, "I _knew _it would surprise you! I knew it!" Ray couldn't help but laugh, thinking about how childish and immature the last words Zim had said sounded. He was practically on top of the world at that very moment.

Ray's mind flickered back to the day she had first met Zim. On that day, he had been so pessimistic, so..._empty. _He always seemed at least slightly annoyed about something. Now, he was as free as a bird. _Was I the cause of this? _Ray thought, _Did I grant Zim true happiness?_

_No, that doesn't sound right. Zim had to have been happy at least once before I met him. He couldn't have been so dark-natured all the time, right? _She put the thought out of her head then, deciding to just enjoy her time with her boyfriend before they got to Skool and class started.

Both Ray and Zim were too engrossed in each other's company to think about Dib for a single moment. At that exact time, Dib was walking to Skool as well, although he was ahead of them due to starting earlier. Zim had taken a little while to think about when he was going to surprise Ray, and Ray...well, she was busy.

Dib's trenchcoat fluttered behind him as he walked, unable to tear his gaze away from the still leaves of the trees around him. They were few and far-between near the sidewalk, but they were still strangely beautiful. The entirety of nature was beautiful to him, but this morning was especially strange.

_Normally, there's a breeze here, _Dib thought, _but today, there isn't one. The trees look so peculiar to me...without their leaves rustling, it looks like they're frozen in time. Of course, when there is a breeze, they're still beautiful. The wind makes leaves rustle, temperatures change, dark hair billow out from behind you..._

Dib found himself thinking about Ray again. She wouldn't leave his thoughts...even if Zim was apparently her boyfriend now. She was still remarkably beautiful...and sweet, and smart, and...he could think of all sorts of ways to describe the girl he had fallen in love with, but none of them sounded perfect.

_The best words to describe her aren't words, _the paranormal investigator realized, _What truly describes her is sound - leaves sweeping along on a sidewalk, rain gently tapping on a window, or that crunching noise as you walk through snow. No words can accurately describe Ray..._

Dib stopped for a moment to think about Ray and where she was now. Although a part of his mind insisted that she was walking to Skool with Zim, he ignored it. He only thought of the positive things - Ray's smile, her light, wonderful laughter, and her endless dark eyes.

This stopping was exactly what made Ray's mood drop like a stone. As soon as she noticed Dib, about thirty feet in front of her and Zim, she came to an abrupt halt, although it was completely involuntary. Once Zim noticed this, he stopped as well, giving Ray a slightly confused expression.

"...Ray?" Zim asked, gray eyes beginning to show signs of worry, "Are you all right?" Ray didn't respond at first - she was frozen, suddenly remembering her promise to Zim about when she was going to tell Dib about her true Irken identity. All she could think of was that there was going to be trouble.

After a while, Ray took a deep breath and shook her head a few times. "Y-yeah," she stuttered, voice sounding a bit shaky, "It's just...well..." She shakily raised one hand and pointed toward the paranormal investigator who wasn't too far away from her. Zim's eyes followed Ray's pale finger, and he immediately looked nervous.

"You did say you were going to...tell him today, right?" Zim asked, voice beginning to waver. Ray nodded anxiously, face even whiter than usual. Her hand dropped to her side as she tried to calm herself down, but she couldn't - another fantasy was starting to form in her head.

This one started off with Ray - without her disguise - and Dib, walking down the sidewalk together. For a moment, things were peaceful, but then storm clouds began to form above them. A steady downpour began, gradually growing heavier and heavier as the fantasy progressed.

Ray flinched as the fantasy-version of herself dropped to the ground and screamed in pain. The fantasy-Dib watched in horror as steam practically shot off of Ray's skin. The rain just grew harsher, and eventually, Ray heard thunder. A thunderstorm had begun within the fantasy.

That was when the ship came out. It was obviously Irken, but had been put through major advancements and upgrades - it resembled a spider, and was walking on what looked like eight drills. There was a roaring sound as the drills spun around and around, digging into the ground with every step the ship took. Behind its dark red surface, Ray saw the unmistakable glint of Invader Zim's eyes, burning with anger as one of the drills rose.

The fantasy ended rather abruptly, right when one of the drills rose from the ground...and propelled itself straight at Dib's chest. That was when Ray felt someone gripping her shoulder. "Ray," Zim murmured worriedly, "Ray...I need you to wake up, Ray. Please, wake up..."

Ray blinked, immediately whirling around to face Zim. "Zim!" she began in shock, "I, um...I'm sorry about that. I just...well, I was just thinking about something." Zim tilted his head to the side in a brief moment of confusion, but then found himself smiling faintly and taking Ray's hand again.

"It's okay," the Irken invader replied positively, "Do you want to resume our walk to Skool now?" Ray glanced upward, noticing that Dib had continued walking, apparently never noticing her. Her gaze returned to Zim and she couldn't help but smile. He was a little like a firefly on a summer night - the only source of light in a world of darkness. His gray eyes were practically sparkling with happiness, and she wondered if she was the cause.

"Yeah," Ray responded, "After all, we don't want to be late...right?" Zim nodded, and the two of them got back to walking to the center of education within the city. Dib was right - the trees looked very beautiful, even without a breeze to make their leaves rustle. There was something about them that seemed strangely serene.

"So begins the epic journey of the almighty INVADERS RAY AND ZIIIM!" Zim shouted, free hand pointing toward the sky as a sign of victory. Ray couldn't help herself - she burst into a crazy fit of laughter, and Zim joined in. Once again, Dib had been pushed into the back of their heads, as though he didn't even matter anymore.

...

Several hours had passed since Ray and Zim's walk to Skool. Only a few minutes remained until the class was dismissed to go to lunch, and most of the students were on the edge of their seats in anticipation. A few glanced up at the clock every other second, waiting for the time to come.

Ray was not one of those students - as a matter of fact, she was their exact opposite. Her back was pressed against the back of the chair as firmly as possible, and she refused to look up at the clock. She didn't want to go to lunch - not because she wasn't hungry, but because she didn't want to face Dib.

As soon as Ray and Zim had arrived at Skool, still giggling about what Zim had said a few moments before, Ray recalled her promise to her boyfriend about telling Dib who she truly was. As class went by, Ray's nervousness amplified, making her feel like she was on the verge of a total breakdown.

Focusing on the lesson was undiscovered territory for Ray, along with the rest of the class. Zim's leg kept twitching - he was looking forward to seeing Ray at lunch. It was pretty aggravating being in the same class as your girlfriend and being unable to speak to her for hours on end.

Dib restricted himself from staring up at the clock, but only because he didn't want to be disappointed when he realized that not even a minute had passed. While he appeared to be focusing on Miss Bitters, his mind was elsewhere. His mind was completely devoted to Ray.

_Should I talk to her? _Dib thought nervously, _Should I ignore her?...No, wait, that sounds like I'd be playing hard-to-get. What's my goal here? Am I trying to get Ray to notice my feelings for her, or am I trying to get Zim away from her? Maybe I should answer that question before I decide what to do..._

_My conflicts with Zim are about to get even more serious if I'm not careful. After all, don't people tend to act even more aggressive when they're protecting someone they love? If that's true, then I'm in for a world of hurt...Zim would probably kill me if I even said the word "love" around him._

_I guess I'll just talk to Ray during lunch. It's probably pretty hard to conceal your Irken identity and beat up your worst enemy at the same time...right? _Dib let himself relax, giving into anticipation and glancing up at the clock. He had one minute left before class ended and lunch began.

Forty-five seconds left to go. _Just be casual. _Thirty-two seconds left. _Act normal - like you're not even in love with her. _Twenty-seven seconds left. _Don't let Zim scare you out of talking to her. _Twenty-three seconds left. _Ew, is that guy picking his nose in the corner of the room?_

There was a faint dinging sound as the final minute ended, causing class to come to an abrupt close. Dib got to his feet as Miss Bitters slithered out of sight and most of the other students filtered out of the room in a large group. Ray wasn't in this group - she was still sitting at her desk.

Dib stepped closer, unaware of Zim's gray-eyed gaze near the door. Zim was trying not to be angry, remembering that Ray still had to tell him about how she was really an Irken invader, but he couldn't help himself when Ray turned around and managed a weak smile when she noticed Dib.

"Hello, Dib," she began, "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Dib didn't notice the nervousness in her eyes - he only saw their extreme beauty. When Ray held out one pale hand, Dib took it, not noticing how shaky her grasp was. Zim exhaled deeply, hoping that it couldn't be heard by Ray or Dib.

"Do you...want to walk to the cafeteria with me?" Ray asked shyly. Inside her mind, a swarm of thoughts patrolled every waking moment. She couldn't help but think that Dib would try to destroy her once she told him the news. A part of her wondered if she was being paranoid, but that part was ignored.

"Sure," Dib replied with a smile, leaving the room with Ray. Zim followed them, although he made sure that he was always at least five feet away from them. He didn't want to start a fight with Dib - especially when Ray was around. Zim had a bad feeling that if he stood too close to Ray and Dib, Dib would start a fight with him.

As he entered the cafeteria, Dib felt a faint pang of hunger, but ignored it - he didn't want anything to interrupt his time with Ray. He almost wanted to tell her right then that he had a crush on her, but he didn't. He had a few reasons for this, however, and the fact that Zim was in the same room was number one.

Meanwhile, Ray was beginning to feel increasingly nervous. Her mind was playing tricks on her again, and she started to feel like it was about to launch her into yet another horrible fantasy. She shook her head a few times, trying to stop the vision from coming, but it wouldn't go away.

"So...where do you want to sit?" Dib asked, brown eyes scanning the lunchroom. Ray shrugged, not really caring where they were...just as long as they weren't close to any of the other students. However, there were several empty tables, so any of them were perfectly okay with her.

Ray and Dib ended up sitting at one of the nearby tables, which was quite far away from where the other students sat. Zim stood near one of the walls for a moment, watching them walk up to it and sit down. To the untrained eye, it would've looked like he was planning to murder them. Of course, he wasn't, but Zim was an expert at giving others particularly frigid stares. Ray gave him a quick glance and a weak smile before returning to her conversation with Dib.

After a little while, Dib began to notice something about Ray's behavior. "Um, Ray?" he began, sounding just a bit worried, "Are...are you alright?" Ray didn't respond - although she was trying to pay attention to her friend, her mind was somewhere completely different, and wouldn't stop thinking about Zim.

Dib lightly tapped Ray's shoulder with one finger, which made her immediately face him, suddenly alert. "Oh! I...I'm fine!" she responded quickly, "I...I just...I was just thinking about something, that's all." She tried to smile, but couldn't, especially when Dib gave her a slightly pained look.

"Oh," he murmured quietly, "You're...thinking about Zim, aren't you?" Ray bowed her head in shame, looking the other way for a brief moment. Dib was right - she _had _been thinking about Zim. However, there was a part of her mind that couldn't stop telling her to reveal her true identity to Dib.

Zim gave up, tired of simply watching them, and decided to enter the conversation. He walked up to their table and sat down across from them. Dib's angry glare at the Irken invader was unmistakable, although Ray didn't notice it. When she finally looked up and into Dib's eyes again, the glare had subsided.

"Well, yes," Ray admitted sadly, "I'm sorry, Dib. It's just...I made this promise to him yesterday, and I...I can't break it. It's one of the only things on my mind right now, Dib. I'm sorry." Dib paused, wondering what sort of promise she would've made with Zim. Zim, on the other hand, watched them silently.

"What sort of promise?" Dib asked, saying the very words Ray had hoped he wouldn't say. She began to absentmindedly run a hand through her hair, but then her body went rigid. She was unable to stop her mind from forcing her to plunge into another nightmarish fantasy.

Like her previous fantasy, this one began with her - without her disguise - and Dib. However, this time was different. It seemed as though Ray had just told Dib that she was really an Irken invader, because she was looking a bit nervous. Dib's expression was one of shock, but then became stoic and unreadable.

"So...can we still be friends, Dib?" the fantasy-Ray asked anxiously, antennae twitching as she spoke. For a moment, the fantasy-Dib said nothing, which was when Ray reached out and attempted to take his hand in hers. However, this was when things began to become horrific.

Dib said nothing at first, but his intentions became clear when he smacked her hand away. "No!" he screamed, "How can I possibly be friends with someone who's trying to take over Earth?" He withdrew a strange-looking weapon from what seemed like nowhere and fired it right at the fantasy-Ray.

"Dib!" she cried, jumping to one side to avoid the blast, "It's not what you think!..." However, the fantasy-Dib wouldn't hear a word of it. He fired at her again and again, and eventually, the fantasy-Ray couldn't avoid the bullets anymore. One hit her, shooting right through her chest, and she collapsed to the ground.

The last thing Ray saw before the vision ended was the fantasy-Dib standing over the fantasy-Ray's lifeless body with a look of triumph on his face. "The human race: one," he muttered, "Invader Ray: zero." The fantasy faded into blackness, and Ray found herself sitting in the cafeteria again.

"...Ray?" Dib murmured, eyes filled with worry, "What's wrong, Ray?" Tears blurred Ray's vision, which was when she realized that she was about to cry. She couldn't cry now - not in front of Dib, when he would figure out that she wasn't human! Blinded by fear, she got up and rushed out of the room.

"Ray!" Dib almost-shouted, in shock, "Ray!" He immediately got to his feet and followed her out of the lunchroom. Zim was at a loss for words as he watched his girlfriend and his worst enemy dash away. Wondering what was going on, he began to get up and follow the two of them.

However, that was when the current lunch monitor turned around and noticed him. "You!" she began shrilly, "You! Green kid! Sit down, now!" Zim couldn't help but obey and sat back down, looking a bit defeated. His gray eyes averted toward the doors, knowing that Ray and Dib were somewhere beyond them.

_Good luck, Ray, _Zim thought, _Good luck telling him the truth. _Although Zim was wishing Ray good luck, she wasn't getting any of it. She ran down the hallway, not caring where she went as long as it was away from the rest of the world. Eventually, she came to a stop, pressing her back firmly against the wall at the end of the hallway. There was a faint hissing sound as her tears came into contact with her skin, and she whimpered in pain as she brushed them away.

"Ray!" Dib called, racing up to her, "Ray!...Oh, Ray, what's wrong?" Ray slumped down and hit the floor, blinking continuously in an effort to stop crying. Dib reached her, knelt down next to her, and held out a hand. She took it, looking up into his eyes with tears brimming in her own.

"I'm...I'm s-sorry, Dib," Ray stuttered softly, brushing more tears away with her free hand and immediately hiding it behind her back so Dib wouldn't see how they burned her skin, "I'm sorry...about all of th-this." Dib resisted his temptation to hug her right then by moving about one inch closer to her.

"What is it, Ray?" he asked her gently, "Is this about that...that promise?" Ray nodded, wishing she could just bury her face in Dib's trenchcoat and forget about all of her problems. However, she knew she would have to tell him, and she knew she couldn't break her promise.

"Dib..." Ray began almost-inaudibly, "There's...something I have to tell you. Can you meet me sometime after Skool?" Dib paused, wondering what sort of thing Ray would have to tell him. A part of him wondered if she was going to confess that she had loved him all along, but he didn't give that matter any thought.

"Sure," he answered truthfully, "You can come to my house if you want." He stood up then, helping Ray shakily get to her feet. She stood there for a moment, looking into his eyes and completely losing herself within them, but then decided to respond to Dib's statement.

"...Okay," Ray replied, "I think I know where it is. Do you want to return to the cafeteria now?" Dib nodded, and the two of them walked back down the hallway and into the cafeteria. They sat back down as though nothing had happened, and the lunch monitor didn't seem to notice them.

Ray was feeling more nervous than ever. She had almost had a complete breakdown just then, and now she yearned for Zim's comforting words to calm her down. She stared at him from across the table, unable to stop herself from smiling weakly when she noticed the compassion within his gray eyes.

_Zim, _she wanted to tell him, _I've been crying. I've been crying over Dib...I've been crying for him, for that matter. I can barely take this, Zim. I'm going to Dib's house after Skool, and I'll try my hardest to be brave, but there's no guarantee that he won't try to destroy me once I tell him the truth. Wish me luck...I love you._


	17. Chapter 16: Drenched

Ray's body wouldn't stop trembling as she stood on the front porch of her house and stared up at the sky. The clouds above were a dark gray, swirling around like a vortex. However, the appearance of the clouds, no matter how surreal, eerie, and dark they seemed, wasn't what was making Ray so nervous.

She had already told herself that she was going to go to Dib's house in five minutes. Just a few days ago, she would've jumped at the chance to go to his house, probably arriving three minutes earlier and hoping that Dib wouldn't mind. However, today, every cell in her body was whimpering in nervousness.

_This isn't working, _Ray thought, _I need to convince myself that nothing bad will happen. _Even though Skool had just ended, the sky already looked dark, as though the sun had already set and darkness had already come. As if to add insult to injury, the air was becoming unbearably cold, making Ray shiver as she stood outside.

The Irken invader jumped in shock as she heard the front door open behind her. It was dark within her house, but Vir's red eyes still glowed brightly. They were filled with worry as she stared at her master, and even though she wasn't in her disguise, Vir stepped out of the house and onto the front porch.

"Are you okay, Master?" the SIR robot asked softly, taking Ray's hand in hers in an attempt to cheer her up. For a moment, Ray did nothing, but then she turned and faced Vir. Her smile looked weak and pitiful, and her eyes were steeped in sadness. Vir found herself feeling horribly depressed just staring into them.

"I'm in a lot of trouble now, Vir," Ray replied, smile fading, "I'm going to Dib's house in about four minutes now, and...and I told myself I would reveal my true identity to him. After all, I...I can't keep it a secret any longer." She bowed her head in silence, unable to stop the tears that came to her eyes. She didn't want to cry, but once she started, it was impossible to stop. She could only hope that her tears wouldn't touch her skin and burn it for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

However, before her skin began to burn, Ray felt something cold on her cheek. Vir's metal hand moved across her face, gently brushing her tears away. "It's okay, Master," she murmured soothingly, smiling a little, "Don't cry. I'm sure things will turn out fine. You can tell Dib, and then things will be okay."

"But...what if Dib tries to destroy me?" Ray asked, voice sounding quiet and sad, "What if he tries to kill me, Vir? What if he just...lets me go, but...forgets about me? Vir, I..." She looked away then, casting her gaze across the seemingly-endless sidewalk. "I love him, Vir. I can't see him leave like that..."

"Master..." Vir began, "Oh, no, Master..." The dysfunctional SIR robot backed up a few steps. "Master...I think you should be going. Dib is...Dib is probably waiting for you." Ray turned and faced Vir yet again. Her hair blew in the breeze as she blinked back her tears and tried to manage a slight smile for Vir's sake.

"Okay," she concluded, "I'll...I'll be leaving now. See you later, Vir." Ray stepped off of the porch and began her walk to Dib's house. Vir watched her for a few moments, the piercing color of her eyes visible even from a long distance away. After a while, she went back inside so the humans wouldn't see her, however.

The sidewalk was a slightly lighter color than the clouds. The entire world looked gray, and there was an ominous chill in the air as Ray walked down the sidewalk. Occasionally, the leaves of the trees above would rustle, and Ray found herself unable to stop shivering. _I probably should've worn a jacket, _Ray thought.

_I hope Dib's waiting for me. He doesn't seem like the kind of person to forget about things like this. _Ray glanced upward and saw Dib's house in the distance. She was in disbelief for a short moment, unable to face the fact that she had been walking for quite a while now and was now quickly approaching her destination.

A few minutes later, Ray stood in front of the front door, folding her arms across her chest in an effort to become a bit warmer. However, it was too cold around her to make much of a difference. She rang the doorbell with one shaky hand and immediately withdrew it, taking one step backward in nervousness and worry.

About fifteen seconds later, Dib Membrane answered the door. He looked almost exactly like he had during Skool that day, but he seemed a bit anxious about something. He found it difficult to focus on Ray's dark brown eyes, but he did, noticing the worry within them and wondering what was going on.

"Good afternoon, Ray," Dib began courteously, holding the door open, "Feel free to come in." Ray found herself smiling just a bit and cautiously entering the Membrane household, loving how gentlemanly Dib was acting. She cast a very brief look toward the world outside before Dib silently closed the door behind her.

"...Where is everyone?" Ray asked quietly, "You once told me you lived with your father and your sister...right?" The house was strangely dark for a moment, but then Dib flicked a lightswitch into the on position. A few assorted lights around the house, scattered around at random, came on, each one a slightly different color.

"Dad's at his lab across town," Dib explained calmly, "and I think Gaz went to some sort of video game convention. I'm not sure, though. Until she returns - which probably won't be for quite a while - we have the house to ourselves." He paused then, noticing that Ray's eyes were affixed on the lights around them.

"It's one of Dad's inventions," Dib continued, "It's just to add variety to the house, I guess. Every time you flip the switch, several random lights around the house turn on. Of course, it's not always all that helpful - once, someone flipped the switch downstairs and turned my bedroom light on. I didn't get much sleep that night."

Ray laughed softly. "Your house is amazing," she told Dib, "I really like it." She turned to face her friend, smiling just a bit. "Can I see your room?" Ray asked, involuntarily tilting her head to one side. Dib stared at her in surprise for a brief period of time, having not expected her to ask him a question like that.

However, he did end up responding. "Sure," Dib answered, "It's this way." He walked off in a different direction, and Ray followed. The two of them reached their destination in a matter of seconds, but as soon as they entered Dib's room, the only thing Ray could do was look around in pure, uninterrupted wonder.

"...Wow," Ray breathed, "It...it's amazing, Dib." Dib blushed a little as Ray's eyes surveyed his room, taking in everything and forever storing it all in the endless depths of her mind. "I almost can't believe this is your room," Ray commented softly, "It's...simply amazing. There's something about it that just seems to say 'Dib.""

Dib smirked. "Thank you," he replied, "I accessorized it myself." This was true - for the past ten years, Dib's room had been home to all sorts of random things from practically every moment of his life. Every bit of evidence he had stored about Zim was sitting in the corner of the room, beginning to develop a bit of dust.

Ray and Dib wandered back into the main room in silence. Ray was beginning to grow nervous again, not sure about how to tell Dib about her true identity as an Irken invader. Dib, on the other hand, was nervous for a totally different reason. He was actually worried about telling Ray that he was in love with her.

"So..." he began, looking away and making the moment quite awkward, "what do you want to do?" Ray shrugged lightly, and Dib found himself sitting down on the couch. Ray sat down next to him, shoulders still raised from the shrug. Although the room was warmer than it was outside, it was still quite cold.

Dib had completely forgotten the reason why Ray had come to his house in the first place. She had said there was something she needed to tell him, and he seemed to have forgotten that. Instead, he was lost in the fact that he was only about eight inches away from Ray, the girl he loved, and was too shy to say anything.

The next few minutes passed in silence. Occasionally, Ray would glance at Dib for just a few seconds before looking away. She did this several times, and after the fifth time, she had practically memorized his appearance. He was absentmindedly hugging his knees and staring into Ray's dark eyes with a worried look in his own.

Right after Ray glanced at Dib for the seventh time, the tapping noise began.

...

At first, the faint tapping did nothing to distract Ray and Dib, but then it began to grow louder. Ray felt like her mind was completely blank - she couldn't think about anything other than Dib...not even Zim. A part of her mind recognized the sound, but it was buried deep within her consciousness, entirely and utterly inaudible.

As the tapping grew louder, Dib's expression changed from an empty one to a confused one. "What's that sound...?" he asked, quietly getting to his feet and looking around. There was something about that sound that was awfully familiar...he was certain he had heard it somewhere before...but where? He couldn't recall.

Ray's back straightened as she shifted just a bit to see what the paranormal investigator was doing. Dib wandered around the room, trying to pinpoint the location of the sound. After less than a minute of looking, Dib stopped wandering and just looked around, unable to find the cause of the sound anywhere around him. For a moment, Dib thought it was coming from somewhere above him, standing on his toes to get a better view, but then realized that the sound was coming from all around him.

"What are you doing?" Ray asked softly, watching as Dib, with the sleek and graceful movements of a feline, searched the room for the location of the sound. However, it was impossible to find the exact location...it seemed to be coming from all around him. He was sure that the answer was right in front of his face...and it truly was.

Dib froze abruptly. Abandoning his prior elegance, he rushed up to the nearest window and pulled the curtains back. More light streamed into the room, and Ray got to her feet to get a better look. However, she still couldn't see, so she walked up to Dib and stood by his side, staring out of the window at the world outside.

"...Oh, wow," Dib breathed, mesmerized by the source of the sound. He couldn't believe he hadn't figured this out immediately - it was raining. A somewhat-light downpour was falling from the dark clouds, creating one of the most beautiful rainstorms Dib had ever seen in his entire life. He found himself gently taking Ray's hand in his own while watching the raindrops fall, finding it extremely difficult to stop himself from crying due to the extreme beauty of the weather.

"It's...it's beautiful," Ray whispered, forgetting about her water allergy for a brief moment. She could only remember that she was standing behind a pane of glass and viewing a beautiful rainstorm, with Dib Membrane by her side. She forgot about Zim, she forgot about Vir, she forgot about her own identity as an Irken invader - she only thought about Dib, who was just as entranced by the rain as she was. However, he managed to snap out of it rather easily after a little while.

"Ray," Dib began quietly, tugging on her arm just a bit, "I...I just thought of something we can do...if you want to." Ray tore her gaze away from the rainstorm and turned to face Dib. There was a small smile on his face, although he looked just a bit nervous about something. Ray found herself lost within his pulchritudinous brown eyes.

"Do you, um...want to take a walk...in the rain...with me?" Dib asked shyly, still holding Ray's pale hand. Throughout his childhood, Dib had walked through rain countless times. The feel of it was exhilarating - so peaceful, so serene, so...wonderful. Even after Zim had come into his life, Dib had still found peace within rain.

This was when Ray remembered her water allergy. She was about to decline, but then a part of her mind reminded her of her promise to Zim. She was suddenly reminded of how she had promised Zim she would tell him the truth about her identity as an Irken invader. She was going to keep her promise to him, no matter what.

"...Sure," Ray replied almost-inaudibly. Dib's smile remained as he led Ray toward the door. He didn't seem to have noticed that Ray had bowed her head slightly, as though she was guilty of doing something bad. He didn't notice how her pale skin seemed to have become even paler, or how she found herself blinking back tears.

As soon as Dib pulled the door open, the sound of the rain outside grew louder. Ray flinched as Dib let go of her hand, but she followed him, standing in the doorway as he stepped out into the rainfall. Her friend - the ten-year-old human she had fallen in love with - was standing within the downpour about two feet away from her.

Dib was unable to stop smiling. The feeling of raindrops against his skin was just as blissful as it had always been. He remembered a time when he was five, enjoying the walk home from Skool due to the rainstorm that was going on. Whereas his classmates had just stomped in the puddles, Dib took his time on his walk home.

The paranormal investigator couldn't prevent himself from raising his arms a few inches and taking three steps forward. The five-year-old Dib, walking through the rain while his classmates raced ahead of him, appeared in his mind. For a moment, he even forgot about Ray, only thinking about the rain falling around him.

However, Dib stopped when he realized that he couldn't hear Ray's footsteps behind him. Had she not come out into the rain yet? _That's odd, _Dib thought, _I thought she said she would. _He lowered his arms, feeling quite silly for raising them in the first place, and turned around, wondering what was going on.

Ray was standing in the doorway, her breathing coming in quick gasps. Her eyes were wide with mixed shock and worry, affixed on what seemed to be a point in the distance. Dib turned to look in the direction she was staring at, but nothing seemed to be there. When he faced her again, Ray's expression had changed.

Ray's breathing appeared to be slowing now, and her eyes had lost their shocked look. That look was replaced with sadness, and her head was bowed in shame. It seemed like she was trying to hold back tears, because her body occasionally quivered as though she was choking back a sob. Dib couldn't believe his eyes - what was making Ray so sad? Just a moment ago, she had seemed perfectly fine, and now...she looked like someone had just told her that her boyfriend had been killed.

Dib took one step closer to Ray. "Ray?" he asked softly, voice wavering, "Are you...are you okay?" Suddenly, something occurred that just confused Dib even further. Ray raised her head, dark hair falling over the sides of her face like curtains, and her eyes locked with Dib's. Something about it seemed strangely...familiar...

That was when Dib realized that he had locked eyes with Ray on the day they had first met. She had turned around because she thought she had heard someone calling her name...and their eyes had locked. The feeling of nervousness he had gotten that day immediately came back to him, still just as powerful as before.

Dib was pulled back to the present when he saw Ray's lips move. No sound came from her mouth, however - she appeared to be mouthing something. Dib had never been good at reading people's lips, but he recognized Ray's words rather immediately. He had heard them so many times before, repeated so many times.

_I'm sorry, _Ray seemed to be saying, _I'm sorry, Dib. _Dib's gaze was filled with pain, unsure what Ray was trying to tell him. However, before he could do anything else, Ray's left foot touched the ground in front of him, and she entered the rainstorm with that sad look still frozen onto her face, not saying a single word.

Droplets of water instantly came into contact with Ray's skin, although Dib didn't find this to be weird in any way. "...So, um...let's go," the paranormal investigator murmured, taking a few steps forward. He heard Ray's footsteps behind him, which calmed him for a brief moment. She was apparently following him this time, although he still had no idea why she had told him she was sorry. What was there to be sorry about? Ray hadn't done anything wrong...had she?

_Is this about Zim? _Dib thought, feeling just a little anxious, _Is she apologizing to me about being Zim's girlfriend? There's no reason for her to do that. True, it did hurt when Ray told me, but I understand that it makes her happy...oh, who am I kidding? It's painful just to think about Zim because of their relationship..._

At that exact moment, Dib's train of thought crashed and he was interrupted by a peculiar sound. He was certain he had heard that sound somewhere before, but he couldn't place it. It sounded like some sort of hiss, and he was sure that he had heard it...perhaps even recently. Ray's footsteps were no longer audible.

Dib took a few seconds to think about what the sound could be, but then it hit him rather instantly. That hiss was the sound of acid burning through something. However, that familiar hiss could also be heard...when water touched the skin of an Irken invader. Dib flinched as soon as he realized where he had heard it before.

_Zim! _Dib thought, _Zim! What is he doing here? Why is he interrupting my time with Ray? _His eyes darted around rapidly, trying to find Zim somewhere in the rain, but he was nowhere in sight. He seemed to have vanished...or maybe he wasn't there at all. _If Zim isn't here...then where is that sound coming from...?_

Dib slowly turned around and was in for a shock. Thick, translucent steam was rising from Ray's skin right after the rain touched it. Dib gasped, not sure what to think of what was right in front of him. Ray's skin was burning...exactly like Zim's did when it came into contact with water. _Exactly like Zim's allergy to water._

Dib panicked, rather suddenly going hysterical. A barrage of thoughts stormed through his mind, but he couldn't make heads or tails out of it. Ray seemed to have a water allergy...but that didn't make any sense...did it? For a moment, Dib was in a complete daze, unable to snap out of it and face the world once more.

The ten-year-old only came back to Earth after he heard Ray quietly whimpering in pain. "Ray!" Dib cried, grabbing both of his friend's hands, "Ray!" He took off running, and Ray followed him right back into the Membrane household. Dib quickly closed the door behind him before turning to face Ray again.

Steam was no longer rising from Ray's skin, but she was still soaking wet. A few droplets of water dripped from the ends of her wavy hair, and her eyes seemed to be filled with tears. She occasionally cringed, as though someone was smacking the back of her head, but it was actually the aftershock from her water allergy.

"...R-Ray..." Dib stuttered nervously, still holding both of Ray's hands in his own, "What's...what's going on here, Ray?" Ray bowed her head again, making a quiet sobbing noise in the quiet of the room she was standing in. Unable to restrain himself, Dib let go of one of Ray's hands and put one arm around her shoulders. "Ray..." he began, eyes filled with genuine sympathy and worry, "Are...are you okay, Ray? Is everything okay?" Ray raised her head, staring into the eyes of someone who could easily be described as her best friend. For a moment, she held her gaze there, but then she spoke, voice trembling like a leaf in a storm.

"I'm...I'm fine," Ray murmured, "I'm fine, Dib...but I suppose I...need to...oh, I can't do this. I can't do this!" Ray let the tears stream down her cheeks, wishing she could just tell Dib the truth. However, she couldn't say anything without feeling nervous about embarrassing herself and somehow ruining everything in one fell swoop.

"Calm down, Ray," Dib whispered soothingly, trying to get his friend to relax, "Is this about your...your water allergy?" He could only guess that Ray had a water allergy, and his mind was racing to find an explanation. He was trying to avoid the obvious, because in his mind, the obvious didn't seem as obvious as it normally was.

_Ray can't be Irken, _Dib told himself, _She's my friend. She...she can't be like Zim!...can she? She can't be an Irken invader...can she? _Shame burned in Ray's dark eyes as she pulled away from Dib and stood in front of him, knowing that if she was going to tell him, now was the time. It was most definitely now...or never.

"It's not just my...my water allergy, Dib," Ray told the paranormal investigator standing across from her, "It's...my lack of a last name. My unusually small appetite. The fact that I only live with Vir - no parents. You...you understand what all this evidence is pointing to, don't you? You've figured it out...haven't you?"

Dib felt tears burning in his eyes. "You mean..." he choked out, breathing growing heavy, "it's...it's all true? You mean...you're really an...an Irken invader?" He spoke the last few words very fast, finding them very difficult to get out. Dib was hit with a rather abrupt surge of shock and pain as Ray nodded silently.

For a moment, Dib couldn't say anything, unable to find the words. When he did speak up, his voice sounded much quieter and much weaker. "How long...?" he asked miserably, "How long...has Zim known?" He stepped a bit closer, but when Ray's eyes met his, he backed away. Was it out of fear? He wasn't entirely sure.

"Since the last day of Skool before the break began," Ray explained sadly, "He...he figured it out that night. We became boyfriend and girlfriend the next day, and...oh, Dib, I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you. I just think...you have the right to know." Pain filled her voice, and it wasn't just from her tears burning her skin.

"What do you look like, Ray?" Dib asked quietly, "I mean...Invader Ray..." Ray blushed, realizing that he had just said her full name, the name Zim sometimes used when he wanted to sound a bit more serious. She managed a weak smile and stood up a little straighter, the pain from her confession and her tears ebbing away.

Dib watched as Ray silently removed her disguise. She pulled the aerosol out of what seemed like nowhere, spraying it on her skin without a second thought. Dib instinctively recoiled as Ray's skin became that familiar shade of light green. Her ears and nose vanished, which just made Dib recoil a bit further.

Her hand moved at a lightning speed, and Dib gasped quietly at the sight of her ruby-red eyes. She really did resemble Zim, and Dib found it a little creepy. However, it was impossible for him to pull his attention away from Ray's eyes. They were inquisitive-looking, they were brilliantly-colored, they were...they were _beautiful._

Ray's antennae rose in a somewhat-graceful manner from her cascade of dark hair, now pointing backward like they usually did. One of her hands reached toward her backpack, and as she pressed the hidden button on it, the backpack immediately turned silver, the glowing pink spots on it immediately causing Dib to identify the formerly black backpack as a PAK. Ray's outfit changed, shirt becoming more of a dress, triangular pink collar appearing, and shoes elongating into black boots.

"Ray..." Dib whispered, unable to say anything other than his love's name for a few moments, "...Ray..." Ray took one step closer to the ten-year-old human, eyes not leaving his slightly pale face. His scythe-like hair seemed to droop, and a single drop of water fell from its tip. That lone action was enough to make Ray start crying.

"This is...this is who I am, Dib," the Irken invader muttered, "I've...I've been deceiving you all along. I'm...so sorry, Dib...I wish I could've just...told you from the start..." It was hard to speak - her voice refused to get any louder than a rather small number of decibels. She finally tore her gaze from Dib, staring at the floor under her feet.

However, Ray jolted back upward when she felt Dib's hands in hers. She faced him again, blushing. A part of her mind was desperately wishing that this moment would end, that everyone could pretend it never happened...but another part of her mind wanted it to last and to never end. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

"I guess this is it, Ray," Dib told the girl standing across from him, "You're...an Irken invader. You and Zim...you two are meant to be. I guess I shouldn't intrude, but...it feels like...well, it feels like I have to. I still feel like...like I need to protect you, Ray." Ray's expression became a shocked one as she realized what Dib meant.

"Dib!" she cried, astounded, "Are you referring to...my second day of Skool? Are you referring to when you promised to...to protect me?" Dib smiled faintly and nodded. Ray found herself letting out a light squeal and falling into Dib's arms. Dib reacted with initial shock and awe, but then let go of Ray's hands and wrapped his arms around her. Ray stumbled to her feet - she had fallen just a few moments ago - but then hugged Dib back, unable to stop the sigh of pleasure that escaped her.

"I find it hard to admit, you know," Dib murmured, "I find it hard to admit the truth about my feelings for you." Ray said nothing, only listening to what the paranormal investigator was telling her. "I've been thinking about it for a while now, but I...I just don't know. There are so many factors about this that just confuse me."

"Same here," Ray replied calmly, gently running one hand along Dib's right shoulder, "It's okay...so many things in life are confusing. You just...you have to put up with them, right? There's keeping my identity a secret, there's trying to keep my grades up, there's keeping my relationship with Zim intact, and then...there's you."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Dib responded softly, "Your identity, your grades, you and Zim, and then...me. I love you, Ray..." His voice trailed off as he continued, becoming nothing but a faint murmur at the end. Ray's smile seemed to contain waves of endless joy, part of an ocean of her own feelings and emotions.

"I love you too, Dib Membrane," Ray whispered in Dib's ear, "I'm sorry it took me so long to notice. Zim means so much to me, and I suppose I could only think about him. I'm sorry, Dib...I'm sorry I never considered you two equals." Dib found himself smirking a little and pulling Ray closer, making her blush even harder.

"That's okay," he told her, voice dropping a bit lower, "After all...how can I be mad at you when I'm in love with you?" The words slid out so easily now, as though the first - and most difficult - obstacle had been crossed. Ray said nothing, which confused Dib for a brief moment. That was the last, tense moment before Ray kissed him.

Although Ray had kissed Zim prior to what was going on now, both she and Dib were experiencing something completely new. Ray had never kissed a human before, and Dib had never kissed anyone, period. He had always thought that nobody liked him enough to do that, but Ray seemed to have proved him wrong.

"Ray..." Dib gasped, "Ray...holy crap, Ray..." He didn't have time to say anything else, because that was when Ray kissed him again. He kissed her back, holding her as though she was the only thing keeping him alive. "Ray...crap, how do you...Ray..." This was different from the sort of thing Zim would do. Ray supposed that it was because Dib could easily give in to human desires, whereas Zim was Irken and didn't give in so easily. Zim was Irken, and...and Dib was completely human.

Although the room was cold, Ray and Dib seemed to radiate heat. The entire room became heated, burning..._intense. _The only thing either of them could think about was their love for each other. And so, Invader Ray and Dib Membrane kissed, with the gentle rainfall outside acting as background music.


	18. Chapter 17: Ray's Truce

The alarm went off at seven o'clock in the morning. It wasn't anything special - just an aggravating "BEEP-BEEP-BEEP" that cut through the relaxation of the early morning like a knife through warm butter and began a new day. However, the dark gray clouds outside didn't seem to suggest "new day."

A pale green hand, masked by a black glove, shot out from underneath the blanket and smacked the snooze button, shutting the alarm off for the next five minutes. Once done, the hand retracted back into the blanket, now at peace. Whoever owned the hand was finally able to relax now that the alarm had shut off.

The door opened with a quiet creaking sound, and a small pink fox strode into the room. "Master!" she began excitedly, leaping up onto the bed with her tail swishing in a rather erratic manner, "Master! Master!" She stared at the lump in front of her, yipping cheerfully and waiting for the lump to stir and hopefully awaken.

"Urgh..." Invader Ray muttered from underneath the blanket, "Go away, Vir. I'm...I'm trying to sleep." Vir was a persistent little SIR robot, however, and wouldn't rest until her master was fully awake and alert. She continuously pressed her paws down on the bedspread and began to patrol across it with the pride of a drill sergeant.

"Maaas-terrrr!" Vir called, still pacing on the bed, "Come on, Master! It's time to get uppp!" Vir's ears twitched as she heard a quiet moan coming from her master, who was still lying under the blanket. She took three steps backward and almost fell off of the bed as Ray slowly sat up, finally deciding to appease Vir by getting up.

Ray's hair looked quite disheveled. Her antennae were drooping forward with sleepiness, and her eyes looked slightly glassy. "Good morning, Master!" Vir told Ray optimistically, "Glad you're awake! I guess you have to go to Skool, so while you're getting ready, I'll wait for you. I'll meet you downstairs, okay, Master?"

"Sure," Ray muttered sleepily, "Whatever." The Irken invader stifled a yawn as she watched Vir's tail disappear behind the door. About a minute later, Ray finally stretched, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and began to get ready for Skool. While she did this, she began to ponder why in the world she felt so tired.

_It's always hard to get up, _Ray thought matter-of-factly, _but it seems like it's especially hard today. Does this have something to do with...yesterday? If it does, then that's...that's just strange. Being with Zim never makes me exceptionally tired, but with Dib...I feel like I just ran five miles. Urgh...I need sleep._

Vir was sitting at the kitchen table, tiny fangs biting into a slice of banana, when she saw her master show up out of what seemed like nowhere. Ray walked over to the table and sat down across from the dysfunctional SIR robot. Her hair looked much nicer than it had just a few minutes ago, and she was now wearing her human disguise. Perhaps she had remembered the events that had occurred yesterday with her so-called "stupid" contact lens, and decided to get all of that over with.

"Good morning, Vir," Ray began with a vague hint of sleep-deprivation in her voice, "Sorry if I was hard to get up." She picked up a granola bar from the table and removed the wrapper, biting into it almost immediately afterward. A smile came to her face as she realized what flavor it was - s'mores. Her personal favorite.

"That's okay," Vir replied kindly, "No hard feelings. I just wanted to get you up so that you wouldn't keep Zim waiting." For a moment, Ray simply absorbed this information, but then she sat straight up, eyes widening when she was hit with the full meaning of what her robotic servant had just told her - _Zim._

"Y-you mean..." Ray stuttered nervously, "Zim is...here?" Several thoughts blasted through Ray's mind at maximum speed. She knew it would be best to try to meet up with him as quickly as possible in order to apologize to him about the day before. After all, even if he didn't know, he would find out soon enough.

"Yeah, he's here," Vir replied nonchalantly, "at least, he was when I last checked. He's waiting outside." Ray instantly got to her feet, as though on autopilot, finished eating her granola bar, and raced toward the door. She hurriedly looked back at Vir, who was watching her from the kitchen table, and managed a small wave.

"See you after Skool, Vir!" Ray almost-shouted, rushing outside and slamming the door behind her. Vir watched her master go, fangs sinking into another banana slice as she did. She didn't even notice the granola bar wrapper sliding off of the table and onto the floor - she just stared at the door as though in a complete trance.

As soon as Ray heard the satisfying sound of the door closing, she looked around frantically, trying to find Zim. She assumed that he would've already left and began his walk to Skool without her, probably wondering if she even cared anymore. Although a part of Ray's mind knew she was being paranoid, that part was ignored.

"Zim? Zim?" Ray called loudly, voice rising in pitch each time she said his name, "_Zim?_" She was now on the point of hysterics, dark hair whipping around her head as she looked for her boyfriend. She took a few steps off of the front porch, and was in for a shock as Invader Zim stepped out from behind the side of her house.

Zim was in his human disguise, but he looked eerily beautiful in the early morning. His gray eyes were practically glowing, exactly like they had on the day that Ray had taken him to the meadow. There was an otherworldly sort of elegance in the way he walked toward his girlfriend, making Ray freeze in midstep.

"...Hello, Ray," Zim began softly, looking slightly pensive, "I was wondering when you would arrive." He spoke in a formal manner and bowed lightly when he reached Ray, making her blush. "Would you care to walk to Skool with me, Lady Ray?" When he rose again, there was a slight, shy smile on his face.

"Of course," Ray replied quietly, "After all, thou hath most definitely stolen my heart, Sir Zim." Zim laughed - a soft, comforting laugh that made warmth pulse through Ray's body. She held out a hand, and Zim kissed it gently before taking it in his own and walking away with the Irken invader he had fallen in love with.

Ray tried her hardest to get Dib out of her mind as she walked to Skool with her boyfriend. She had forgotten how wonderful it was to be with Zim, especially when they weren't confronted with any interruptions. The bliss she had experienced while in the meadow came back to her, reminding her of how much Zim meant to her.

_What can I do now, though? _Ray thought, _I suppose Zim and I were destined to meet, and are destined to stay together...but what about Dib? Dib isn't just a friend to me, but he's definitely not my boyfriend...Zim already has that position. Where does Dib fall in the big spectrum of things, if he's "more than a friend?"_

Ray found herself completely engrossed in her own thoughts, the real world fading away as her questions about Zim and Dib commanded total attention. Even though the clouds were a lovely shade of dark gray - Ray actually enjoyed dark skies - they paled in comparison to the rather confusing thoughts that filled her mind.

Suddenly, Ray froze, feeling someone tugging on her arm in a very light manner. "Ray?" Zim asked, voice sounding like an echo, "Ray? Are you alright?" Ray blinked in shock and found herself standing on the sidewalk. Zim was nervously pulling on her arm, gray eyes steeped in anxiousness and worry about his girlfriend's condition.

Ray took a short moment to exhale deeply. "I'm sorry, Zim," she muttered, "I just...I just have other things on my mind. You know...other things...one thing in particular, as a matter of fact..." She flinched as Zim let go of her arm, having not expected it to happen. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, as though he was gloomier.

"You're thinking about Dib, right?" Zim asked with an edge of sadness in his voice. Ray's eyes met Zim's, and Ray was a bit awestruck when she noticed the lack of sorrow within them. Zim looked a bit stern, but didn't seem depressed at all, aside from his way of speaking. He seemed to be much stronger than Dib when it came to that. Whereas Dib usually seemed hurt or insulted when Ray found herself thinking about someone else, Zim just remained strong and didn't look hurt at all.

"...Yes," Ray replied guiltily, not looking away from her boyfriend, "I'm thinking about Dib. You see, I went to his house last night, and-" Ray was abruptly cut off by a nearby sound. If a human had been standing where Ray was now, they wouldn't have been able to identify the sound. However, it was possible for an Irken invader.

"Ray," Zim murmured nervously, "What's wrong, Ray?" That was when he first heard the sound. Zim and Ray both turned to look in the direction of the sound, which just happened to be somewhere beyond the right side of the sidewalk. It was beginning to get louder and louder as time went on, as though it was approaching them.

"...Footsteps," Ray told Zim, "Those are definitely footsteps." Zim immediately realized the truth about what Ray was talking about. Before Ray could react, he had raced away, following the sound of the footsteps. Ray's eyes widened in shock as she followed her boyfriend down the sidewalk, wishing she could run just a bit faster.

"Zim!" Ray called, "Zim! Wait!" She saw the shadow of a paranormal investigator about twenty-five feet away and instantly knew what was about to happen before it did. She skidded to a halt, realizing that there was no point in continuing to run. Within seconds, Zim and Dib were staring face-to-fact and shouting insults at each other. Both of them seemed like they were about to explode with anger - Zim's usually calm-looking eyes had a faint ruby-red tint to them that looked suspiciously Irken.

"Look, I don't want to start a fight!" Dib screamed, which was obviously a lie, "I was just going to ask you about the homework we got last night!" Zim's hands balled up into fists as he shifted into a tenser, more dangerous-looking position. He snarled, revealing a glint of his zipper-like teeth, which looked even more deadly than usual.

"We didn't GET any homework last night!" Zim shouted, baring his teeth like a wolf, "I know why you're talking to me, and you can't have Ray! She's _my _girlfriend, Dib! Back off!" Dib didn't obey - instead, he growled angrily and took one step closer to his worst enemy, angrier than ever over the physically ten-year-old invader's actions.

"You're lying, Zim!" the paranormal investigator cried at the top of his lungs, "You're lying! Ray told me about her true identity last night! She _kissed _me, Zim! You hear that? _She kissed me! _Plus, I'm certain Ray can testify!...isn't that right, Ray?" Ray recoiled slightly as she realized that both Zim and Dib's eyes were upon her.

_Dib just told Zim what happened last night, _Ray thought, _He just...he just told Zim about what we did. Oh, no. No, no...this can't be happening..._

...

Dib's entire being still surged with rage and anger, but there was a slight triumphant smirk on his face, and the look in his eyes told Ray that he was truly doing this out of love. Zim, on the other hand, looked shocked and quite a bit awestruck. His shoulders slumped, his body relaxed, and the sadness in his eyes became clear.

"...Ray," he almost-whispered hesitantly, trying to prevent his voice from wavering, "We...we need to talk." Dib crossed his arms and grinned, realizing that he had probably just ruined Ray's chances with Zim. Zim's sadness was reflected in Ray's eyes, but then she bowed her head in shame and nodded silently.

"Yes," she responded softly, "I...I know." Zim and Ray walked away and stood under a nearby tree, far away enough so that Dib couldn't hear their conversation. Zim didn't hold Ray's hand, but when Ray took his in her own, he didn't object. He didn't look up until they reached the tree and was sure that Dib couldn't hear them.

Even then, Zim still didn't say anything at first. He stood in front of Ray, looking much shorter than usual. He was normally at least Ray's height, but he seemed at least two inches shorter at that very moment. The Irken tint in his contacts was gone - however, his eyes were glistening with tears. What Dib had said was really hurting him, and Ray could tell. She cast a quick, indescribable glance at the paranormal investigator who had just hurt Zim so badly before returning to her boyfriend again.

"...So..." Zim stuttered quietly, "Y-you...you kissed, didn't you...?" He closed his eyes for a split-second, trying to blink back tears. He wished he didn't have to get so emotional over things like this, but there was something about his girlfriend kissing his worst enemy that made his entire body ache with a burning sort of pain.

"Dib's right, Zim," Ray confessed, shivering even though the temperature around her was perfectly fine, "I told him who I really was, and I kissed him. That...that's all. The end." Tears filled her own eyes, and she took a step back, half-expecting Zim to pull an Irken weapon from nowhere and shoot her right through her chest.

There was a long, awkward pause. Ray found herself unable to meet Zim's eyes, and she let her hair fall over her face and hide herself from the rest of the world. Zim, on the other hand, was going through several mental conflicts, but in the end, he took a deep breath and stood up straighter, going back to his normal height.

"...Zim?" Ray asked, raising her head just slightly, "...What are you doing? Why aren't you...trying to destroy me?" Zim looked slightly confused, head tilting to one side, but then he figured out what Ray was saying and, noticing that he was still holding her hand, squeezed it gently. Ray's eyes widened as she felt the squeeze.

"What do you mean, Ray?" Zim asked, sounding quite a bit calmer. Ray took Zim's other hand in hers, trying to stay steady and hoping that she wouldn't somehow fall to the ground and injure herself. However, it was very difficult when she was still under the assumption that she had permanently scarred her boyfriend.

"You...you practically _own _revenge," Ray explained nervously, "I've heard of some of the things you've done to Dib...if you wanted to, you could find a way to kill me right now, at this very moment. Why am I still alive, Zim? Why aren't you...trying to find a way to kill me?" She finally stared into Zim's eyes again, looking much sadder.

"Isn't it obvious?" Zim replied soothingly, "There's no way I could try to kill you, Ray. Ray, I...I can't try to kill you because...I..._I like you too much._" Ray's face went red, and she found herself falling into Zim's arms without even meaning to. Zim gently put one arm around her, trying to keep her steady and help calm her down.

"I still love you, Ray," Zim whispered, "This may have hit me pretty hard, but I can manage...although I'm a little hurt, I can just keep pushing on." Ray's body trembled as she remained locked in Zim's embrace, but it didn't affect Zim - he just continued to whisper sweet nothings as they stood underneath the tree.

Both Ray and Zim were so engrossed in each other's company that they had almost completely forgotten about Dib. His initial feeling of victory had been replaced with guilt after he saw Ray's reaction, but then to anger when he saw what happened next. This was the point when he gave up and decided to interfere.

"Okay, Ray, I give up!" Dib exclaimed, storming over to the tree with rage burning in his eyes, "I can't do this anymore! First, you become my first actual friend in Skool, which is fine. Then, once you two get partnered for some stupid project, the two of you act like you've known each other forever! I get left behind, and everyone stops caring about me because _I'm just the stupid, fragile human! _You end up telling me that you and Zim are a couple, and then you give me this 'I still want to be friends' crap, and then we end up hugging. Why did I ever agree to that, Ray? WHY? I'm just the stupid, idiotic human boy who can't comprehend anything! I'm not good enough for the superior Irken invader Ray! We end up _kissing, _but you side with Zim every time! You side with that hopeless, horrible Zim...you...you..."

Dib had been so focused on telling Ray the full extent of his thoughts that he didn't notice the tears that were filling his eyes. He stopped screaming for a moment and coughed into his trench coat sleeve, only to realize that his eyes were practically overflowing with tears. If he didn't stop himself, he was going to burst into tears any second now. Considering the fact that he was in front of both Ray and Zim at the time, bursting into tears seemed like the worst, least helpful thing he could do.

Ray slowly got to her feet, finally able to stand on her own, and gracefully stepped over to the paranormal investigator. His feet were still planted in the ground, his fists clenched, expression furious, but tears were now spilling down his cheeks, and he looked awful. It was obvious that he had tremendously overworked himself.

Zim watched as Ray took one of Dib's hands in her own. "Don't hurt yourself, Dib," she murmured softly, "Don't hurt yourself." Her voice was like a hypnotic lullaby, and Dib found himself bowing his head in shame and crying. A part of his mind hoped that this was all a dream, that he would wake up to find that none of this was real...

"Don't hurt yourself," Ray continued, "I understand that I've done one of the worst things someone in my position could possibly do, and for that, I deeply apologize. I understand that I have a lot of things to work out, and I know that you're hurt. But don't hurt yourself over this, Dib...don't hurt yourself. Relax, okay?"

"Oh...okay..." Dib replied shakily, blinking back tears, "I'll...I'll try to...relax..." Ray nodded to show her approval and gently kissed his cheek. Dib raised his head just a bit and found himself blushing. Ray smiled - that same wonderful smile that Dib had always loved - before casting a quick, slightly worried glance toward Zim.

"I'm going to talk to Zim now," Ray told Dib, "okay?" Dib nodded silently, and Ray let go of his hand and walked back over to Zim. As soon as she was beside him, she began muttering in a much harsher voice than before. "We have to do something about this, Zim. I can't be the neutral nation forever, right?"

"How on Irk can I help you?" Zim asked nervously, "I'm a huge factor in what you're trying to fix, Ray. I wish I could be of service, but...but I really can't. I'm sorry." He gave Ray a slightly pitiful look and held out one hand. Ray took it and stared off into the distance, as though the solution to the problem was somewhere out there.

_Why does everything have to happen to us? _she thought, _I probably shouldn't have told Dib how I truly felt about him, but what's done is done. What's done is done, and I don't think much of a solution can occur here. As a matter of fact, with the sort of problem I'm stuck in, it seems like there's only one solution..._

Ray took a few moments to stare up at the sky. She imagined an Irken ship flying across it, carrying both her and Vir, flying away to some unknown destination. Where would they go? _Why _would they go? Was that truly the only solution to the problem Ray was now standing waist-deep in? Perhaps it was...

_No, _Ray thought, _That's not right. I can't just be a coward and leave Earth. Besides, I...I like it here. There's nowhere to go. Vir wouldn't want to leave, anyway...and if we left, I'd just be hurting myself, Zim, Dib, Gir, and Vir. I can't do that, but...what can I do?...Oh, who am I kidding? I've screwed everything up._

"...What are you thinking about, Ray?" Zim asked quietly, still holding her hand, "The way you're staring up at the sky is...highly unsettling, to say the least. What's going on?" For a while, Ray didn't answer, but then she faced Zim again, her eyes filled with a mysterious, newly-discovered emotion that Zim had never seen before.

"...Zim?" Ray murmured, voice sounding extremely depressed and gloomy, "What would you do...if Vir and I...what would you do if we just packed up and left Earth?" Zim let go of Ray's hand and immediately recoiled, not expecting Ray to say anything like this. His voice quivered with mixed fear and worry as he responded.

"Well, uh..." Zim stuttered, unable to take his eyes off of Ray, "I...I...I don't particularly know what I'd do, but...I would...I would definitely miss you, that's for sure. I'd never forget you. I'd spend nights dreaming of your eventual return...oh, Ray, why are you bothering to ask me this? You're seriously depressing me now."

"I know," Ray muttered, "and I'm sorry about that. However...I think I might have...come up with something." Zim watched, now rather awestruck, as Ray walked off and stood between Zim and Dib, looking a bit nervous about the events to come. Although she seemed very nervous, she made herself look as serious as possible.

"Invader Zim," she stated, directly addressing the Irken invader, "and Dib Membrane. I think I've finally come up with something."

...

Ray cast one painful glance at Dib before beginning, which created a rather ominous chill in the air for him. Was he about to get completely crushed? He most certainly hoped not...after all, he had just accidentally had a total outburst in front of Ray, and after kissing her last night...what else could possibly happen?

"When I first arrived on Earth, my ship crashed straight into the ground," Ray began, "The last thing I commanded the dying computer within it to do was to construct itself into a proper living space. However, I do know that somehow, I could probably locate another Irken ship and leave this planet without delay...if I had to."

"I was just talking to Zim about the matter, asking him what he would do if my SIR robot and I packed up and left Earth. Of course, I don't want to do this, but as I said earlier to Zim, I can't be the neutral nation forever. If things remain like they are now, then my only choice will be to leave Earth, no matter how painful it will be. Have I made myself clear?" Both Zim and Dib nodded instantly, shocked at how serious Ray was. She didn't usually act like this - she was normally a lot more carefree.

"Good," Ray muttered sternly, "because what I'm about to say is probably going to change everything forever." The first thing Ray did was turn to face Zim. He looked a bit fearful, which didn't surprise her when she thought about how serious she was being. She paused to clear her throat before continuing to speak.

"Invader Zim. You already know where you stand in this situation - you're my boyfriend, unless you want to change anything. Words cannot express how sorry I am for betraying you last night." She actually lost her cool here, trembling a little and finding herself blinking back tears. "Do you...do you forgive me, Zim?"

"Of...of course I do," Zim replied softly, "I forgive you, Ray. I love you, and I always will." Ray, who was rather surprised that Zim had gotten the hang of affection and love to easily, stepped up to him and kissed him lightly before turning to face Dib, her expression serious once again. Dib flinched with nervousness.

"Dib Membrane. I...well, I...Listen. I love you too, but..." Just then, Ray was cut off by Dib, who lifted one hand in a gesture that told her to shut up. Although she was trying to be a serious leader at the time, she immediately stopped talking and listened to what the paranormal investigator she had kissed the night before had to say.

"I already know what you're going to say," Dib almost-whispered sadly, "Even though I was your first friend here, even though I had a crush on you when you were just head-over-heels in love with Zim, even though you told me who you really were and kissed me last night...you still love Zim more. I get it, and I'll just leave now."

However, before Dib could do anything, he felt Ray grabbing his hand. "That's true," she confessed, "I was very confused on the day when I realized I had feelings for you. I'm still very confused, but I think I'm getting a grip on things. It's true that I may love Zim more, but...but I don't want to lose you, Dib. You're still like...like a best friend to me. Friends don't leave friends." Dib cringed when he heard the truth about Ray's feelings for Zim, not wanting to believe it, but then decided to be strong.

"So, is this it?" he asked, "This is your plan? I get to stay with you, even though Zim is...even though Zim is your significant other?" A shard of his rivalry with Dib cut Zim right then, and he couldn't help but smirk just a bit as he heard the phrase "significant other." Luckily for him, Ray didn't notice a single thing.

"That's not it, really," Ray responded, "I don't want to see you drop out of my life, even if it _is _spent with Zim. I don't want to see you disappear, even if it must seem like I've lost my soul to Zim by falling in love with him. Plus, just because Zim is my boyfriend doesn't mean you have to stay away from us for the rest of eternity."

There was a long, very awkward pause. Zim, beginning to feel a bit irked, was wondering if they would ever get to Skool. Dib was giving Ray an odd look, as though he was contemplating his current situation. When he finally spoke, there was a slightly mischievous tone to his voice that made Ray unable to stop smiling.

"I can...still hang out with you, right?" Dib asked, "And maybe...kiss you once or twice?" Ray laughed softly and nodded. Dib, unable to stop himself, jumped up and wrapped his arms around her neck. For some odd reason, he felt like a heavy burden was being lifted off of his shoulders - that he was finally free.

"You don't have to do that," Ray told Dib with a grin, "We all know you're adorable, so you can go ahead and stop that." Understanding what had been said, Dib gently let go of Ray's neck and dropped back onto the sidewalk, now cheerful. Ray was still smiling at him in the brief seconds before she turned to face Zim again.

"There are two more things I have to say, though," Ray muttered, now serious once more, "Number one - Dib, you do know that, since Zim is my boyfriend, you'll probably always be a bit of a...a second-best, right? You do know that you'll end up finding company with Gir and Vir more than you probably want to, right?"

Dib's smile didn't fade, and he only nodded. "I don't care," he replied, "I know Zim means more to you, but I still get to spend time with you. I know it may sound weird, but in reality...you really are the first real friend I've ever had." He took one step closer to Ray, and she didn't object - she just smiled pleasantly.

"I'm glad that's settled," Ray remarked, casting an optimistic glance over at Zim, "I mean, we're all okay, right now?" Dib nodded vigorously. Zim seemed a bit reluctant, but that was because there was a quiet, nagging doubt in the back of his mind that refused to go away until he decided to talk to Ray about it.

"Hey, Ray?" Zim whispered so Dib couldn't hear, "What about...what about _my _relationship with Dib? Won't we have to make a truce as well? We can't just stay away from each other forever, right?" Ray's smile faded just a bit, and she stepped closer, turning her head so that he could hear her better, even with his human disguise on.

"I was just getting to that," Ray admitted, "Okay, then." She stepped back into her place between Zim and Dib. "There is one more thing that has to be dealt with before we do anything else. I'm not a big fan of having to play leader here, and you can probably tell. But there is one thing I have to tell you to do. Zim, Dib...I know this sounds far-fetched, and I know that you're probably going to want to kill me for this, but it has to happen. I can't see you two fight anymore."

"Zim," Ray began, casting a glance toward the Irken invader who had become her boyfriend, "and Dib." She looked over at the ten-year-old boy who had hopelessly given in to human desires and fallen in love with her. "If we're going to remain like this, as a group of three...you're going to have to form a truce."

Both Zim and Dib exchanged nervous looks. _A...a truce? _they both thought, _Oh, boy, I have a bad feeling about this..._


End file.
